Pride parades and festivals have gained popularity especially among the LGBTQ+ community, allowing its members to raise awareness of the community and celebrate the culture and heritage of its lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender members.
Denver, Colorado has a long history of Pride events, with the first Pride Fest being held in 1976, the same year the Center on Colfax was funded. This is the local community center in charge of organizing and producing the festival every year. Nowadays, the Denver Pride Fest attracts around 525,000 guests each year in June and consists of a two-day event held at the Civic Center Park, the 5K long-distance running competition, culminating in a spectacular parade along Colfax Avenue.
The Denver Pride Fest is the third largest pride festival and the seventh largest pride parade in the US, bringing it into the Top 10 Pride events in the country.
This lively event is usually held during the third weekend of June with celebrations beginning early in the festival week. Part of the Colfax Avenue is closed for the Sunday parade, while the roads surrounding the Civic Center Park offer a safe environment by remaining closed during the event and street fair. Here you can find representative handmade accessories and decorations, clothing, food and services.
More than 100,000 guests will spread along 14 blocks of Colfax Avenue, from Cheesman Park to Civic Center.
Over 250 exhibitors and 30 food and beverage vendors will be present at the event. There are several stages offering entertainment by many local and nationally recognized performers from all around the US.
Among this year’s headliners are: Kylie Sonique Love, Betty Who, Yvie Oddly, Cazwell and Silky Nutmeg Ganache.
2022 Denver Pride Fest events
The 2022 Denver Pride Fest will take place between 25 – 22 June 2022, when you can enjoy several events, like:
- The Denver PRIDE5K on Saturday, June 25, open for everyone;
- The Pride Rally on the West Steps of the Colorado State Capitol on Saturday, June 25;
- The Coors Light Denver Parade on Sunday, June 26;
Other events during the whole month, like:
- Pride Night at the Rockies on June 3;
- Maqueerade on June 10;
- Rainbow Market on June 12, with over 50 queer artists and performers;
- Harlem Renaissance on June 17, hosted by Black Pride Colorado;
- Queer Cookout on June 19;
- Denver Dyke March and Number Thirty eight Pride Party on June 25;
As the list is far from over, see the full 2022 Denver Pride Fest program here: https://one-colorado.org/events/colorado-pride-2022/
Big Queer Beerfest
Many breweries host pride events during June, like the Big queer Beerfest held for the second time this year on June 18, where no less than 35 breweries will serve unique recipes and raising funds for various causes. The event was founded in 2021 by Goldspot Brewing and Lady Justice Brewing, both owned by members of the proud diverse LGBTQ+ community. They have managed to raise over $6000 for organizations like the Transformative Freedom Fund and Queer Asterisk. They have a higher aim for 2022, according to the owner of Goldspot, Kelissa Hieber.
Not only business owned by LGBTQ+ people will be present at the Denver Pride Fest 2022. At this inclusive event, you will also find many breweries owned by women or people of color, as well as non-alcoholic beers for those that don’t drink alcohol.
This year, beer will be sold for tokens purchased by attendees, and 20% of the money earned will be donated to a chosen nonprofit supporting the LGBTQ+ community. Each brewery will support a specific charitable cause, so attendees can always choose where to spend their tokens, depending on the cause they consider best.
Denver Pride Fest is one of the greatest Pride events around the country, so make sure not to miss it while you are in Colorado during June 2022. Show your support or just learn more about the LGBTQ+ community right in the middle of it, from the most relevant people.