The Ultimate Canadian Pride Events Guide for Summer 2023

by Russ Martin

With attacks on the LGBTQIA2S+ community on the rise in Canada, Pride feels as essential as ever. This summer, queer folks and their allies will be gathering across the country to protect their rights, uplift each other and celebrate queer joy. With so many events happening at all hours of the day, FASHION has created the ultimate coast-to-coast Pride 2023 calendar, so you’ll never miss out on the action.

RELATED: What to Wear to Pride

We’ll be updating this list all summer long. But in the meantime, peruse our calendar of must-see Pride events happening in Toronto, Edmonton, Halifax, Vancouver and Montreal.

Toronto, Ont.

Lavender Wild

New this year, Lavender Wild is a one-day festival celebrating queerness. Musical performances include queer pop sensation Hayley Kioko and Juno nominee Shawnee Kish, plus drag from The Virgo Queen and Gay Jesus.

When: June 4, 2 p.m.
Where: Echo Beach

Blockorama 25: Legacies

Blockorama has officially been around the block. Organized by Blackness, Yes! Blockorama is Pride Toronto’s longest-running stage and this year it turns 25. Born from the lack of representation for African, Black and Caribbean LGBTQ community members, Blockorama has put Black excellence on stage for more than two decades. This year’s stage is headlined by Trinidadian singer Nadia Batson.

When: June 25, 2 p.m.
Where: 15 Wellesley St East

Pride Prom 2023: Outcast Paradise

Queer folks experience high school differently from their heterosexual peers. In recent years, queer proms have become a phenomenon, creating safer spaces for queer youth to celebrate the end of school — and themselves! — with other queer youth. This alcohol-free event is for 2SLGBTQ youth aged 21 and under.

When: June 20, 7 p.m.
Where: Buddies in Bad Times Theatre

Drag Ball

Hosted by local staples Sofonda and Ivory Towers, this annual outdoor drag extravaganza includes a who’s-who of Drag Race talent, from Sasha Colby to Miss Fiercalicous, Kimmy Couture, plus Dragula winner Landon Cider and Call Me Mother’s HercuSleaze.

When: June 24, 6 p.m.
Where: TD Main Stage (Nathan Phillips Square)

Alternaqueer: FLUID

The queerdos will be out in full force for Alternaqueer, an annual Pride staple that celebrates bizarre, outside the box drag and queer performance. Dragula’s Yovska is headlining along with performances from Craven Blood, Mx. Quest and Allysin Chaynes. This year’s theme is FLUID, so bring a raincoat.

When: June 23, 7 p.m.
Where: Bud Light Wellesley Stage

Shut Up Flag!

West End performance collective Kunst Kids is celebrating flags, from hanky codes to the community’s ever-evolving set of Pride flags. Performances by Full Blown Father, Angell Morana, MS. G and Delirios.

When: June 23, 10:30 p.m.
Where: The Baby G

Chaotica

Hosted by drag queen and supermodel Bombae from Canada’s Drag Race, Chaotica is a performance art cabaret that pulls together drag, burlesque and queer messiness. Featuring Miami Dolls star Fantasia Royale Gaga, Feather Talia, Gay Jesus, Cyril Cinder and more. [Ed note: I’m stage managing and if you come, you’ll see me sweeping up feathers.]

When: June 24, 7 p.m.
Where: Buddies in Bad Times Theatre

Lady 5 In The Hole

Lady 5 is a night all about taking a chance. It’s a drag competition, but the organizers encourage the audience to dress up too. Hosted by Molly Farton with music by Toronto icon DJ Regina Gently and the whole night is in support of Rainbow Railroad.

When: June 8, 8 p.m.
Where: Buddies in Bad Times Theatre

Cherry Bomb

Despite being the largest city in Canada, Toronto does not have a single bar that caters specifically to queer women. Cherry Bomb helps fill that void. It’s also an absolutely legendary party with a sweaty dance floor full of queer women, trans and non-binary people, plus their friends and allies. This year’s Pride edition features Cherry Bomb resident DJs Cozmic Cat and Denise Benson, plus DJ Sam from Montreal and more.

When: The Axis Club
Where: June 24, 9 p.m.

Sober Oasis

Pride’s not all about partying: The Sober Oasis was created as a safe space for sober folks at Pride. The tent will host meetings, from 12-Step Groups to SMART Recovery, throughout Pride weekend.

When: June 23-25
Where: Paul Kane Parkette

Edmonton, Alta.

The Edmonton Pride Festival takes place August 18 to 26 but the city has a cascade of queer programming taking place during June for Pride month.

Edmonton Drag Festival

The Edmonton Drag Festival is like Coachella, but for drag in Alberta. It will feature a bunch of Canada’s Drag Race faves  ncludingJada Shada Hudson, Anaquway and Chelazon Leroux are performing, along with rising Call Me Mother star Makayla Couture and loads of local talent.

When: June 17, 11 a.m.
Where: Louise McKinney Riverfront Park

Edmonton Queer History Project Walking Tours

Edmonton Queer History’s summer walking tour series has three tours during Pride Month, including a tour aimed at creating a welcoming city, a tour of the city’s queer night life history and a tour geared at the history of queer politics and protest in Edmonton. Visit the group’s Eventbrite for details about its full suite of summer walks.
When: June 1, 5 p.m.
Where: Churchill Square

Pride Corner on Whyte

The corner of 104 Street and Whyte Avenue, in the heart of Old Strathcona, has been dominated by homophobic street preachers for years. For the past two years, a group of queers and allies have been meeting to drown out the hate with music, dancing, education and love. This Pride, the group is asking queer folks and allies to join them every Friday night.

When: Every Friday in June (and ongoing)
Where: 104 St and Whyte Avenue intersection

Pride Church Service

McDougall United Church has been providing same-gender unions since before they were recognized by Canada. For Pride, the church is offering a special sermon on Sunday, June 4, for the LGBTQ+ community complete with a musical performance.

When: June 4, 10:30 a.m.
Where: McDougall United Church

2S Powwow

On August 24, the Edmonton Pride Festival is set to co-host Alberta’s first ever 2-Spirit Powow in collaboration with the Indigi-Queer performance collective Indigi-Hauz Of Beaver Hills — a group of drag artists that features “kings, queens and everything in between.”

When: August 24
Where: Churchill Square

Y2K

Edmonton queers are dialling the clock all the way back to a time when Electric Circus ruled MuchMusic with a nostalgia-dipped ‘90s dance party, Y2K. The turn-of-the-century-style celebration is being headlined by Canada’s premiere eurodance group, Love Inc., and its most famous cartoon duo, Prozzäk. Get ready to scream “You’re a Superstar” and “Strange Disease” at the top of your lungs.

When: August 25
Where: Churchill Square

Pride @ Churchill Square

Pride Edmonton’s big Saturday night outdoor party features drag by Call Me Mother’s Pepper, plus a performance by Filipino-Canadian producer and performer Ronald Morrera (a certified snack, check their Instagram). The night will be rounded out with Ria Mae, fresh off the release of her new single ‘Please Don’t Go,’ and hometown heroes Stereos.

When: August 26
Where: Churchill Square

St. Albert, Alta.

The city of St. Albert has Pride programming scheduled throughout June.

Queer Prom

Out Loud St. Albert is putting on a queer prom for students in the Albertan city. The early evening dance party is aimed at students grades seven to 12 and will run until 11 p.m. The group is even providing hair and makeup help for anyone who needs it or can’t get ready at home.

When: June 23, 7 p.m.
Where: TBA

Pancake Breakfast

The St. Albert Community Hall is hosting a pride-themed pancake breakfast for early risers at 9:00 a.m. on Sunday June 18. Rainbow pancakes promise to be the star of the show.

When: June 18, 9 a.m.
Where: 17 Perron St. St Albert, AB

Fort Saskatchewan, Alta.

Fort Saskatchewan Pride Week is June 9 to 16. Fort Sask Pride includes an All Bodies Swim, drag bingo and a HIV health care providers workshop. Get the full calendar of events here.

Halifax, N.S.

Last year’s Pride festivities in Halifax included a charming mix of events from friendship speed dating to a BBQ for queer refugees, comedy and drag shows and even a walk for queer dog owners. Then in late 2022, Halifax Pride posted and then deleted an announcement that Pride 2023 wouldn’t be happening. According to reporting in The Coast, what followed included claims of workplace abuse, changes to the board of directors followed and a “smoulder of gossip” that “became wildfire.”

Last month Halifax Pride issued a press release that Pride will, in fact, take place this summer from July 20 to 30, but didn’t provide any event details. The organization is, however, hosting a community meeting on June 2 to answer questions about the festival.

Vancouver. B.C.

The west coast’s biggest Pride celebration, Vancouver Pride, takes place August 5 to 6. The full programming lineup is TBA, but the Vancouver Pride Society just announced a new parade route and a week of wellness events in June.

Queering Sex Education

The quality of sex education Canadians receive as students varies wildly and research has shown queer youth find it difficult to access sexual health information that is relevant to them and their sexual lives and futures. To spread community knowledge, the Pride Society and The Allura Centre are hosting a workshopwith a counsellor, Daniel Oommen, on topics ranging from the spectrum of types of consent, self-pleasure, desire and pleasure-focused sex.

When: June 4, 1 p.m.
Where: cmmngrnd.ca

QTBIPOC Meditation

Cmm Grnd, a fitness and social wellness collective, is also hosting an evening of guided meditation with Eman Salem, an empowerment coach who’s also a documentary producer (one of their films was just at the Seattle Black Film Festival). The event’s aim is to provide QTBIPOC folks a space to rest, heal and be in community.

When: June 8, 8 p.m.
Where: cmmngrnd.ca

 

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Pride Parade

Vancouver’s annual Pride parade is the festival’s signature event and typically pulls in more than 100,000 attendees. This year the Vancouver Pride Society is hoping to pull even more from all over British Columbia and beyond with a new, more accessible parade route, 12 hosts, three accessible viewing zones and a special VIP area.

When: August 6
Where: Davie Street and Denman Street

Montreal, Que.

Fierté Montréal, easily one of the country’s biggest Pride festivals with attendance in the millions, takes place August 3 to 13.

A Family Affair Kiki Ball

This Kiki Ball is a celebration of all kinds of family, from birth to chosen – and even famous families from pop culture. Trophies and cash prizes are both up for grabs.

When: August 5
Where: Le Club Soda

The Aesthetic Activism of ACT UP MONTRÉAL

Montreal was a hub of HIV/AIDS activism in the early 1990s and the site of a monumental protest in the movement in 1989. Gay rights activism and photographer René LeBoeuf, who was also a major player in the fight for marriage equality in Quebec, documented the height of HIV/AIDS activism in Montreal and his photographs from those years will be on display along with banners and signs from protests throughout Pride at Québec’s Gay Archives.

When: Opening August 4
Where: Archives Gaies du Québec

The High Heels Obstacle Race

Ready, set, strut! A flock of drag queens are getting dolled up to compete in a sure-to-be hilarious obstacle race in support of RÉZO, a longstanding local non-profit community organization that supports LGBTQ+ men.

When: August 7
Where: Sainte Catherine Street East, between Alexandre DeSève and de Champlain streets

Drag Superstars

Headlined by Quebecois drag icon Rita Baga, this event features laundry list of fan favourites from Drag Race like Aquaria, Kerri Colby and Heidi N Closet, two Canada’s Drag Race winners – Icesis Couture and Gisèle Lullaby – and top tier drag king talent like Quebec’s own Will Charmer and Dragula winner Landon Cider.
When: August 10, 6 p.m.
Where: Esplanade du Parc Olympique, Scène TD

Pride Parade

Fierté’s parade runs a nearly three kilometre stretch from the city’s former 2SLGBTQIA+ neighbourhood in the west end downtown Montreal to the heart of the current village in the east.

When: August 13 1 p.m.
Where: Boulevard René-Lévesque

Afro Pride

This year’s Afro Pride, which takes the form of a section of the parade, is a special tribute edition honouring Carifiesta, the city’s annual Caribbean Carnival. The queer honouring of the Carifiesta comes after the carnival announced it would not take place in 2023 due to funding issues.

When: August 13 1 p.m.
Where: Boulevard René-Lévesque

Whitehorse, Yukon

Yukon Pride is split across three cities over the course of a month, kick off in Dawson City from July 27 to 30, then Whitehorse from August 5 to 13 and, finally, Watson Lake on August 26. The full schedule is TBA, but Queer Yukon is promising parades and picnics in all three cities, a pop-up Queer Café, musical performances and more. There’s even a Pride Parade Bike Float Making Workshop in Whitehorse on August 1.

Pride Dance Party

Canada’s Drag Race star Ilona Verley is headlining this dance party, which also features performers from the IndigiHauz of Beaver Hillz, DJ SNAXX and Josephine. If you’re not an early riser, Verley’s also performing the next morning at an all ages brunch at The Legion.

When: August 12 9 p.m.
Where: The Local Bar

Queers & Beers

Winterlong Brewing Co. is hosting a Pride patio party for queers and their allies with a special limited edition Rainbow Bright craft brew.

When: August 10, 6:30 p.m.
Where: Winterlong Brewing Co.

Saskatoon, Sask.

Pride Saskatoon takes place throughout all of June, with events ranging from a queer art exhibit to drag shows, dance parties and mini lawn bowling.

What Is Love?

Dance Mix ’95 was a near-perfect collection of songs. The MuchMusic compilation album opens with Whigfield’s “Saturday Night” and closes with Haddaway’s “What Is Love,” taking the listener on a journey through a capsule of mid-90s dance history. The album is the inspiration for this party, which is serving up city views and an open bar.

When: June 1, 6 p.m.
Where: The Winter Garden at Nutrien Tower

Fabulous Feathers

There’s plenty of peacocking at any Pride festival, but only Pride Saskatoon would have an actual bird walk. Hosted by a pair of queer birders, Ryan Bradshaw and Ryan Dudragne (yes, they are adorably both named Ryan). It’s BYOB — bring your own binoculars.

When: June 11, 8:30 a.m.
Where: Donna Birkmaier Park

Victoria. B.C.

Victoria Pride hosts events from June 29 to July 9.

Memorial Drag Ball Game

This annual event has become one of Victoria Pride’s signatures over the years, with its roots dating back to 1993 when a group of friends got together to distract themselves from the community mourning of the HIV/AIDS crisis. The event now draws up to 1,000 attendees and a whole new generation of fans and drag performers.

When: July 1, 11 a.m.
Where: Victoria West Park off Wilson Street

Big Gay Dog Walk

The perfect event for any queer with a four-legged friend. The Big Gay Dog Walk is exactly that – a chance to stroll with your pup and meet other dog owners in the community. Prizes for best costume and best trick are up for grabs.

When: July 8, 4:30
Where: Clover Point

Ottawa, Ont.

Capital Pride / Fierté dans la Capitale takes place from August 19 to 27. The organization has yet to announce its Pride lineup, but it’s hosting a Pride drag show in June.

Celebrate Pride with Marcia Marcia Marcia

Drag Race star Marcia Marcia Marcia is headlining Ottawa’s pre-Pride bash along with Call Me Mother’s Kiki Coe, Mx. Capital Pride 2020 Jelly and TikTok sensation Saltina Shaker.

When: June 17
Where: The Bronson Centre Music Theatre

Winnipeg, Man.

Winnipeg helps kick off Canada’s Pride season. The festival has already begun and runs through June 4.

Pride Hike

Backcountry Women are putting the “out” in outdoors with their Pride Hike. The group has arranged a beginner-friendly 1.5 hour hike open to all corners of the 2SLGBTQ+ community. Snacks and a fire to follow!

When: June 1, 6:15 p.m.
Where: Birds Hill Provincial Park

Miss Club 200 Alumni Pride Spectacular

Club 200 has been the heart of Winnipeg’s queer community since 1988 and along the way has crowned many local rising stars as Miss Club 200. On the Friday of Pride weekend, alumni from the pageant dazzle the always-packed crowd.

When: June 2, 10 p.m.
Where: Club 200

The Sunset Pride Lounge

Gorge Festival and Cluster Festival have teamed up once again for 20213 Pride programming that features musician Zaki Ibrahim alongside local legends like Purple Haze and Zoleil Midowne.

When: June 2 7:30 p.m.
Where: The Forks Room 201

Gimli, Man.

This small, lake-side town in Manitoba hosts a one-day Pride festival every year. This year festivities throughout town take place June 10.

Pride Gimli Drag Show & Dance Party

Headlined by Breyanna Burlesque and Poison I.V., Cyan Hyde, and Miss Club 200 2022/23 Zova, this party promises drag, dancing and bar games.

When: June 10, 9 p.m.
Where: Ship and Plough Tavern

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