Halifax Pride focuses on bringing people together

The parade is Saturday and the route has changed

CITYnews halifax \ Jordan Parker

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After two years of uncertainty, Halifax Pride’s full-scale festival this year is looking to help people get back in touch with each other and themselves.

With the theme Reconnect, the 2022 Halifax Pride Festival – running July 14 to July 24 — is set to do just that.

“We haven’t had a full festival since 2019. While we had socially distant renditions in 2020 and 2021, they were much smaller than normal,” said Pride Executive Director Adam Reid.

“This one feels like a return to form and we’ll all get to see folks we haven’t seen in a while. There are chances to connect with each other, enjoy the festival, and catch up with our 2SLGBTQIA+ community.”

This year’s Pride comes off a difficult year for the queer community, with the loss of bar Menz N Mollyz still serving as a fresh reminder of all the pandemic took. However, pop-up events, drag shows, and the recent start of Saturday 2SLGBTQIA+ staple shows at Stagger’s Pub signal a different push for queer spaces.

“The loss of queer establishments in Halifax has been a shame. But this community is rallying with spaces and events, and it’s so needed,” said Reid.

“Pride has the resources to assist in the creation of those spaces, and that’s what our festival does. Our mandate is to create spaces where the community can come together and flourish. We help find ways to gather that are meaningful and safe.”

With RuPaul’s Drag Race contestant Peppermint and Canadian crooner Fefe Dobson headed to Pride, there is plenty of national and international talent to showcase. But Reid is also excited about the locals who bring light to the community daily.

“This festival really wants to celebrate our local artists and drag performers. We’re happy to have guests who will bring amazing contributions. But our focus remains local,” he said.

Among the artists and events are the Halifax Gay Men’s Chorus Open Rehearsal, the QTBIPOC showcase, the signature Bump and Grind dance parties, Drag on the Mainstage, the Queer Music Fest on Sunday, and dance classes from queens Mya Foxx and Anna Mona-Pia throughout the week.

There will also be Drag Bingo, a comedy show, evening speaker series’, Drag on the Silva, Brooke and Trinity’s Queer Quiz Night at Julep, in support of the AIDS Coalition of Nova Scotia, Two-Spirit events, a leather and harness dance party, and the signature Dykes vs Divas Softball Game.

“We just have something for everyone, and we really want people to find things they’ll enjoy. We encourage everyone to check out our full calendar,” says Reid.

“We have 50 Pride events and 100 other events around the city. While the pandemic isn’t over, we want people to find events they’re comfortable with. A huge part of investing in the festival site at the Garrison Grounds over nine days was finding space for people to come celebrate and reflect.”

There are some big changes this year, and chief among them is for the Pride Parade, running Saturday, July 16 at 12 p.m. The parade route has changed, and folks planning to attend should be advised.

The route begins at Citadel High School to avoid construction on Upper Water Street. It starts on Ahern Avenue, and will go from Rainnie Drive to Duke Street, over to Barrington Street, and then head up Spring Garden Road, South Park, and end on Bell Road by the Garrison Grounds.

“We had to find a new route due to construction on the Cogswell Interchange. We spoke to the city to find a route possible, taking into consideration infrastructure, safety and transport. I love that it’s now next to the festival site,” said Reid.

“There are some challenges – It’s less familiar, and there’s a smaller footprint. It’s going to be a logistical challenge. We just ask participants to work with us to make sure things go smoothly.”

Leading the parade will be 2022 Pride Ambassador Tuma Young, who co-founded the Wabanaki Two-Spirit Alliance with John Sylliboy.

“He’s such a well-known and respected member of this 2SLGBTQIA+ community. He’s a leader and has been active for decades. He’s worked for Indigenous rights and acted as support for HIV/AIDS,” said Reid. “He’s been a participant in Pride from the early days, and it’s an honour to have him lead us, as well as offer his thoughts and wisdom.”

Another huge aspect of Pride is the accessibility the festival offers, in all senses of the word.

“We make it a priority. We work really hard to remove barriers to participation in our events. Whether it’s accessible viewing for the parade, ASL interpreters at events, calm spaces or active listeners, we encourage folks to explore, knowing we have support on-hand,” he said.

“We also keep costs low at the festival, because we want everyone to take part. This week is costly, but we just don’t want the community to bear those costs.”

While Reid says Pride encourages masks and are cognizant people may not be fully comfortable with large-scale events, he says there’s something for everyone. He also hopes people are happy to be together again.

“Halifax has a fantastic queer community with so much talent, so many leaders and so many organizers. People have been eager for this year, and we knew it would be a highly-anticipated festival,” he said.

“Pride is happy to see people making plans, and ready for people to celebrate again. We encourage people to check out events, plan ahead, and have a great time.”

The Halifax Pride Festival runs July 14 to July 24. For a list of all events and more information, visit halifaxpride.com/.