The 42nd Annual Tucson Pride in the Desert Parade & Festival returns to Reid Park September 28th!
Time & Location
Sep 28th 2019
Parade 11:00 AM (Country Club & Broadway to Reid Park)
Festival 12:00 PM to 9:00 PM
Reid Park, Demeester Outdoor Performance Center
This year’s annual Pride festival is set for Saturday, September 28, 2019 at Reid Park. This year’s Parade is set to begin at 11am and will lead into Reid Park where the parade has historically opened the Annual Festival.
This year’s theme, ""Rise Up" will heavily emphasize the 50th anniversary of the Stonewall Riotsand subsequent five decades of progress for the LGBTQ community. A theme which will look to our past for inspiration to continue the movement towards true and enduring equality.
The annual festival in Tucson began 42 years ago and consisted of a picnic in Himmel Park with courageous members of our community in attendance. Since then, the festival has grown to over 4000 attendees and features over 100 community resources and vendors, a diverse range of local entertainment, cultural groups and performers, with Debby Holiday returning to the Demeester Outdoor Performance Center stage! Joining her on Main Stage are Esera Tuaolo from The Voice, and Brody Ray from America’s Got Talent, while DJ Shorty, DJ Tea, and DJ Remix rock the house in the High Energy Dance Tent. In addition, both stages will feature a diverse menu of local entertainment throughout the day.
The goal of this community event is to offer a fun and safe space for all facets of the LGBTQIA+ family to celebrate our community together. Pride in the Desert is an all-day, all-ages festival which combines entertainment consisting of both local and national artists with the exhibition of voluminous community resources and vendors serving the Tucson LGBTQ community and their straight allies. We are pleased to announce an exciting new addition to the festival this year is a Historic Walk throughout the festival grounds hosted by Queerstory R*Evolution highlighting key moments in our local LGBTQ history, including the tragedy that led to the birth of Tucson Pride, the brutal murder of a young gay man named Richard Heakin. Queerstory R*Evolution will also display tons of memorabilia and collect personal stories from attendees throughout the day to archive and preserve as much of our history through personal accounts as possible.
The annual parade will take place on Country Club Rd, beginning at Broadway and ending in Reid Park. While the pride parades of the modern era have taken on more of a celebratory tone, thefocus of these parades continues to be firmly rooted in promoting the visibility of the LGBTQ+ community and our allies. Here in Tucson, our parade has grown to include a diverse representation of LGBTQ+ organizations, social groups, nonprofit organizations, various faith communities, business entities, and civic leaders. Last year’s parade featured 56 contingents made up of hundreds of individuals from all walks of life. As we continue this extraordinary tradition, let us celebrate our story while at the same time encompassing the original spirit of the early Gay Liberation Marches.
Call for volunteers!
Tucson Pride is seeking volunteers for the festival and parade, including shifts the day before and day after for setup and breakdown.
It takes a village to put on a festival and parade of this size! Shifts are typically 4 hours.
Here are just a few benefits of signing up for a volunteer shift:
1) FREE entry to the festival
2) FREE Volunteer t-shirt
3) FREE meal
4) FREE swag - they have giveaways this year for volunteers
FESTIVAL TICKET DETAILS:
Available for purchase HERE!
•General Admission: $20
•Military, Senior, First Responder & College Student Discount (must present ID at Festival) $15
•Children Ages 13-18 $5
•Children 12 & Under are FREE