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Collingwood Pride is just around the corner, with a shake up to the layout this year.
Running July 12 and 13, Collingwood Pride is planning to slay Collingwood’s downtown this year with the closure of Simcoe Street to traffic to make room for the festival’s main event grounds.
“Our focus is connecting people within our community – both our LGBT+ community and our straight allies – making this a community where people feel safe to love who they love,” said Michelle Kemper, chair of the Rainbow Club of South Georgian Bay which runs Collingwood Pride annually.
“It’s a really important milestone in our community to be able to celebrate and educate,” she said.
The event has evolved over time. The first iteration of Collingwood Pride in 2021 was a combination of virtual and socially distanced in-person events due to COVID-19. Last year, Kemper estimates the event drew about 5,000 attendees despite rain.
“It was so successful,” she said. “Over time, it’s become bigger and bigger. We sat down as a committee and thought about how we could keep that momentum going while also making it feel more intimate.”
This year, the festival grounds will be on Simcoe Street, which will be closed to traffic and fully pedestrianized on July 13 from 2 to 11 p.m. The festival grounds and stage area are fully licensed, featuring a beverage garden accessible to everyone aged 19 and over with valid ID.
A separate Family Zone operated by the Collingwood Optimist Club in partnership with the Collingwood BIA will be set up at 84 Hurontario St. (across from town hall) from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. that day and will feature crafts, circus performers, face painting, temporary tattoos and balloon animal art.
“It should be a fun and inclusive place for families,” said Kemper.
Some of the most popular events will be back this year, including the Collingwood Pride Sappho at Sea Boat Cruise which sells out every year.
Kemper said one of the events not to be missed is the Variety Show on Saturday from 2 to 4 p.m., which will feature Simcoe County talent on the main stage.
The Collingwood Pride Parade will start at 5 p.m. on Saturday, and travel through Collingwood’s downtown. To close out the festivities, an All-Star Drag show will take the main stage on Saturday night, featuring Canada’s Drag Race season 1 winner Priyanka.
“It should be a fun, uplifting evening and it’s all free and accessible,” said Kemper.
For more information on Collingwood Pride including a full schedule of events, click here.
