The Davie Village Pride Festival returns this weekend, bringing back its iconic parade, along with eight hours of live entertainment spread across four stages.
This year’s theme: “Unapologetically queer.”
“It is the 48th annual Pride Parade,” said John Boychuk, co-chair of the Vancouver Pride Society.
“It’s going to start over at BC Place stadium and work its way along Pacific to Howe Street. We are expecting over 9,000 participants in the parade itself – almost a third more than last year.”
This year’s celebrations kicked off Monday, and will expand across Davie Village, Nelson Park, and Comox Street on Sunday.
The Vancouver Pride Society has released a lineup of artists attendees can expect to see, including several popular drag queens.
Boychuk says the organization has had to make adjustments due to a lack of funding. To save money, it moved offices and shifted from relying on a large staff to a volunteer-driven model to ensure the event could go on as planned.
“We rely heavily on sponsors, on community partners, and grants in order to make this happen,” he said.
“Last year, we lost $300,000 in corporate funding, and this year, it’s kind of continued. We rely heavily on government one-time grants. Like from the city this year, we got $75,000 to cover some of our expenses. It ensures the events and activities we have are accessible and affordable.”
The annual celebration comes at a time when some members of the queer community are on edge following a fatal attack at a recent Pride festival in Europe. On July 25, a man drove a van through the celebration, killing a Polish woman and injuring 31 other people.
“Our hearts, first and foremost, go out to those affected by the attacks in Berlin,” said Teri Smith, executive director of the West End Business Improvement Association.
“The safety and well-being of festival attendees and those involved in the coordination and artists, etc., — that is our utmost priority,” Smith said.
“We have been working closely with our public safety partners and the city and event production team to make sure we have all the measures in place to make sure it’s a safe and welcoming festival for all.”
In a statement to CityNews, the VPD said, “In light of the recent attack in Berlin, the Vancouver Police Department is increasing police presence along the parade route, utilizing more vehicle barricades, and deploying Meridian vehicle barriers.”
Meridian barriers are modular devices that can be set up around outdoor public events to prevent vehicle ramming attacks.
“We want people to come out this year, and we want you to be yourself, as wild and as crazy as you make yourself out to be,” Boychuk said.
“Don’t apologize for who you are; we want you to celebrate you!”
Festivities for the Davie Village Pride Festival will kick off at 2 p.m. this Sunday, Aug. 2.
