Chilliwack is gearing up for its fourth annual festival celebrating the LGBTQ community this August.
The Chilliwack Pride Festival returns to downtown Chilliwack on Aug. 21, hosted by the Chilliwack Pride Society. The family-friendly event is free and the theme this year is ‘Bee proud together.’
“Pride is about standing together to face the hate and negativity our community experiences around the world,” said Teri Westerby, president and co-founder of the Chilliwack Pride Society. “Pride is about challenging the hate. After all, the first pride was a riot and we cannot forget our past. But pride is also about liberation and equality. The freedom to love and to be loved. And about celebrating that love.”
This year’s celebrations will include live performances all day by local drag queens, live music, a market, food trucks, activities, kid-friendly games and prizes for all ages. It’s also a chance for people to learn more about local services.
The inaugural Chilliwack Pride Festival took place in 2019 at Chilliwack Secondary School where it was hugely successful with 700 people in attendance.
READ MORE: Successful pride event the first of its kind for Chilliwack
The 2022 Pride Festival is presented in partnership with Envision Financial.
“We are excited to be a partner of the Chilliwack Pride Festival because it is so important to us to live out our authentic commitment to equity, inclusion and diversity in our communities,” said Dave Lanphear, president of Envision Financial.
The festival goes from 10 a.m. until 4 p.m. on Wellington Street, Mill Street and Victoria Avenue on Sunday, Aug. 21. Festival activities are only reachable to pedestrians, but there is free parking nearby.
“We believe every person should feel welcomed and that they belong – and what better way than to stand in solidarity with the 2SLGBTQIA+ community at this fun, family-friendly, and inclusive event,” Lanphear said. “Let us all celebrate as we remove barriers, biases and stigmas in a vibrant way on this day and everyday.”
For more info, go to chilliwackpride.com.
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