PHOENIX — After more than two-and-a-half years of waiting, Phoenix Pride will hold its 40th Phoenix Pride Festival this November 6-7, at Steele-Indian School Park (300 E. Indian School Road) in Phoenix, from noon-9 p.m. (both days). In addition, the 40th Phoenix Pride Parade will be held on Sat., Nov. 6, at 10:00 a.m., along Third Street in Downtown Phoenix, moving North from Thomas Rd. to Indian School Rd.
This marks the first time that the Festival and Parade will be held since April 2019, with pandemic-related delays causing the longest gap in signature events in the organization’s history.
Pride is planning a triumphant return to the festival space, with an event that will continue to build on the growth and enhancements that have marked the Festival’s recent years. In addition to multiple stages of headline entertainment, the perennial Dance Pavilion, and the family-friendly Kids Space, this year’s event will feature a newly revamped VIP ticketholder experience located lakeside, as well as a Health and Wellness Marketplace that will offer on-site COVID-19 testing and vaccinations, open to all eligible attendees free of charge.
Confirmed main stage performers for the festival include, on Saturday, Melanie Fiona (7:00 p.m.) and Neon Trees (7:45 p.m.); and closing out the festival on Sunday night will be Deborah Cox (7:00 p.m.) and Jody Watley (8:00 p.m.). Latin Stage headliners include Saturday’s lineup of the RuPaul Puerto Rican Drag Show (4:30 p.m.) and Horoscopos De Durango (5:45 p.m.), and on Sunday, the RuPaul Drag Divas (2:45 p.m.), La Sonora Tropicana (3:45 p.m.) and Maribel Guardia (5:30 p.m.). The Festival VIP Experience will also include exclusive entertainment, hosted throughout the weekend by RuPaul’s Drag Race All-Star Ginger Minj.
Tickets for the festival are ON SALE NOW at www.PhoenixPride.org and offer a variety of options for access to the event, from single-day general admission tickets to the full two-day VIP Experience. Prices and additional details can also be found on the website. Access to the Pride Parade along the Third St. parade route is open and free of charge. Both events are kid/family friendly.
REQUESTS FOR MEDIA ACCESS / CREDENTIALS TO COVER THE 40TH PHOENIX PRIDE FESTIVAL AND PARADE CAN BE SUBMITTED DIRECTLY ONLINE AT https://bit.ly/pridemedia21. (Additional information available at the end of this release.)
“It’s been a long time coming, but we are finally in the final countdown to our 40th Parade and Festival, and we are beyond excited to reunite our entire community for Arizona’s signature annual Pride event,” Phoenix Pride Executive Director Mike Fornelli said. “This was already going to be a special year for us, given that it will celebrate four decades of Phoenix Pride’s service to our community. But the extra time we have had to prepare for this event has allowed us to enhance it in ways that we never have before, and we are looking forward to what we are certain will be the most memorable – and most meaningful – Pride Festival and Parade in Phoenix history.
“I have to add a sincere and nowhere near big enough thank you to all of our corporate partners and sponsors, who have stuck with us unwaveringly through the challenges of the past 19 months, as well as our volunteers, both on our board of directors, and our festival committee managers, committee members, and everyone who has contributed, with their time, financial support and other resources. These historic events would not be possible without you,” Fornelli added.
“I have never felt this much anticipation for a Pride Festival before, and I know that our entire community is pumped to come back together and celebrate,” President of the Phoenix Pride Board of Directors Landen C.L. Smith noted. “I have said it many times, and will say it again: For many in our community, this is more than just a parade and a festival; It is the one place, the one time of the year, when they can fully express who they are, and that is a critical factor for the health and wellbeing of our community members. Being able to create this incredible safe space, to reunite, re-engage and empower our community, our allies, and all who want to come together to embrace the power of Pride, is truly one of the greatest experiences I’ve ever been a part of, and I, the entire Phoenix Pride Board and staff, and all of our hundreds of volunteers are committed to making this festival and parade one that will have been worth waiting for.”
The 40th Phoenix Pride Festival is presented by Bud Light Seltzer. Circle K will serve as the Festival Main Stage presenter, with Tito’s Handmade Vodka presenting the Festival Latin Stage. The Festival Dance Pavilion is presented by T-Mobile, and the Health and Wellness Marketplace is presented by Weedmaps. The Festival VIP Experience is produced by Vermilion Events and presented by Chapman Automotive Group. The Volunteer Headquarters for the festival is hosted by SRP.
The 40th Phoenix Pride Parade is presented by CAN Community Health / Pueblo Family Physicians.
A string of LGBTQ community events leading up to Pride Weekend is also already underway, as part of the “Fall into Pride” series. Details regarding these events are available at:
www.PhoenixPride.org/events/countdown-to-pride. (A calendar of events is included at the end of this release.)
OPPORTUNITIES TO COVER THE 40TH PHOENIX PRIDE FESTIVAL AND PARADE ARE AVAILABLE, INCLUDING PREVIEW PACKAGES, ON-SITE COVERAGE, LIVE REMOTE OPTIONS AND ACCESS FOR PRINT AND STILL PHOTOGRAPHY. IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO DISCUSS COVERGAE OPPORTUNITIES, PLEASE CONTACT JEREMY HELFGOT, EITHER BY PHONE AT 310-413-3360, OR VIA EMAIL TO jm@helfgot.com.
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ABOUT PHOENIX PRIDE
Phoenix Pride is the producer of the two largest annual public LGBTQ+ community events in Arizona: the Phoenix Pride Festival and Parade, and the Rainbows Festival. Founded in 1981, the organization engages year-round in its mission to unite, educate and engage people to support and empower the LGBTQ+ community and its allies. Additional information regarding Phoenix Pride is available online at the agency’s website, http://www.PhoenixPride.org.
