The ULTIMATE Pride day: Top 4 Calgary Pride Events you need to attend!

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It’s that time of year again folks to find your most colourful attire and join us for this year’s very special 28th iteration of the annual Calgary Pride Parade here in our beautiful city.

Calgary Pride Day is fast approaching (Sunday September 2nd, 11:00AM) and if you’ve never been before, I definitely recommend it. There are lots of fun for all ages from live music on the main stage, activities for youth and children in the family zone, a cold beer or refreshing cocktail in the Village Brewery Beer Gardens, or get better acquainted with the local community as your browse the marketplace.

Pride day is about supporting and raising awareness about LGTBQ rights and to get the community involved in lots of fun, laughter and to celebrate our vast Calgary Diversity!  Some of these fabulous events leading up to the parade are worth checking out and here are some of my recommendations of the top 5 events you should not miss:

1. Sashay, Fillet! August 30, 2018 @ 7.00pm – 1.00pm (Hotel Arts )

Sashay, Fillet! is the gearing up to be an evening to remember and will see the worlds of culinary and drag collide during Calgary Pride’s only celebratory food event that is all ALL AGES.

Five local chefs from award-winning local restaurants like Pigeonhole, Foreign Concept and Oxbow will be paried up with local drag talents including Perla Coddington, Grease Jones and Duke Carson and put through a series of fun and interactive challenges onstage throughout the evening.

The event will provide partial proceeds of ticket sales to Calgary Pride and will also feature a silent auction with unique prizes, all proceeds of which will also go towards the cause. This is sure to be one of the best events for this year’s pride festival!

Join the conversation online using the hashtags #SashayFillet and #eatnorth!

Sashay, Fillet! is presented in partnership with Hotel Arts, Calgary Pride and our media sponsors kool101.5FM and Wild95.3FM.

 2. Pink Flamingo PRIDE Pinball Party! August 29, 2018 @ 8:00pm-2.00am

Come as your filthiest self for Pride Week’s Pink Flamingo Party!

Prizes for the filthiest, of course.

Come as you are.

$10 covers free play all night, a raffle ticket to win awesome prizes from our sponsors, food and drink specials (we even have our own $5 cocktail!)

Enjoy a respectful and conscious space with people who “get it”, while playing really great games and getting to know each other. There are places to sit and chat for those that want to enjoy the environment who are not interested in pinball.

At the tailgate, there will be a live DJ, face painting, and more! The first 100 people to arrive at the Tailgate will receive $10 in Calgary Stampeders Bucks to be used for food or beverage!

 3. Calgary Pride Fundraiser ! August 29, 2018 @6.00pm – 9:00pm

 Upper Deck is Proud to Partner with Calgary Pride and The Corey Hotline to have a fundraiser for Calgary Pride. 35 cents wings with $4 beer and tons of specials.

4. Pride Raft on the BOW ! August 27th 2018

You are invited to The Paddle Station’s 2nd Annual Calgary Pride Raft Weekend on the Bow River ! The weekend event will run starting this Friday, August 24 until August 26, 2018. Enjoy a spectacular day (or two, or three!) of rafting and/or kayaking from Shouldice Athletic Park to St. Patrick’s Island Park across from East Village downtown.

We are so excited to be celebrating Calgary Pride with all our fellow Calgarians! Make sure to wear bright colors and bring anything else that helps get you in the spirit, such as flags or accessories. Invite your friends to our event’s Facebook Page so that they don’t miss out on the festivities – search for “Paddle Station’s Calgary Pride Raft on the Bow 2018!”

Best of all, we haven’t even mentioned the great cause that you will be supporting by joining us this weekend. A portion of this year’s 2018 Paddle Station Pride Raft on the Bow rafting ticket purchases will be donated to charity.

The Calgary Chinook Fund strives to support and build the LGBTQ Community in Calgary. Its primary means of supporting the community is through the Chinook Lesbian and Gay Endowment Fund. This Fund supports charitable organizations providing services, programming, education, and support for the LGBT community.

Now does that sound like an awesome way to enjoy a fun-filled Calgary outing with your family and friends or what?! You will not only be enjoying the sunshine with like-minded people, but also supporting a local foundation focused on equality and acceptance. Visit our website to choose from one of the Paddle Station’s Pride Weekend rafts or kayaks, or let us help you create a custom package of your own!

Book now before it’s too late – rafts are running out! #YourRiverIsWaiting

 

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