SALT LAKE CITY — The Utah Pride Center is planning a week of events "like no other" for this June.
Instead of the usual Pride festival and parade — which was delayed in 2020 and ultimately replaced with a "road rally" — the 2021 version will be replaced by what organizers are calling a "Pride Week Celebration."
The events will run from June 1-7 will include a rally and march, an interfaith service, fireworks, and an interactive outdoor "Story Garden" exhibit.
The week is being planned with COVID-19 restrictions in place. Part of that means there will not be vendors, food trucks or live entertainment, the Pride Center wrote Monday in a press release.
They provided the following descriptions of some of the events:
- Pride Story Garden - Our History, Our Stories, Our communities. This event will encompass an outdoor interactive exhibit on Washington Square that will reveal over a five-day period with date/time specific tickets.
- Pride in the Sky - Loud and Proud Fireworks display for all of our communities to enjoy
- Rainbow March & Rally – Raise Our Voices which will start at the Capitol and proceed down State Street & Harvey Milk Boulevard
- Pride Month Proclamations and Flag raisings –Community leaders and legislators coming together to recognize June 1 as Pride Month
- Interfaith Service – A collaboration of a variety of different faith groups, bringing communities of faith together to connect with and celebrate the LGBTQ+ community.
“This incredible event will probably never happen again, in this form and on this scale,” the center's executive director Rob Moolman said. "It’s going to be unique, fun, educational and offer an opportunity to come out of our houses, be together again and do so safely."
Organizers will be accepting applications from LGBTQ+ restaurants and bars to be a part of the Story Garden, as well as "LGBTQ+ and BIPOC artists and makers."
They also invite people to submit tributes and memorials to those who make a difference in the LGBTQ+ community.
The event will also serve as a fundraiser to support the Utah Pride Center's year-round programs and services.
READ: Utah Pride Center lost massive funding in 2020, but need for services rose
More information on the week-long celebration is expected to be released at utahpridecenter.org and on the center's social media pages.
