While national Pride month has come and gone we still have the 45th annual Tucson Pride to look forward to in October! Here’s a little info on the upcoming festivities and how you can get involved if you’re interested in the open entertainment call.
Pride Weekend
Kick off the weekend on Friday, September 30th with the Pride Parade. Registration will be open soon so stay tuned.
The official Pride Festival is on October 1st from 12:00-10:00 PM at the Georges DeMeester Outdoor Performance Center at Reid Park. If you’d like to be a vendor registration is now open, hurry before all the best spots are snatched up!
Pride Brunch is on Sunday at Highwire Lounge, stay tuned for details. This is a great chance to unwind from the crazy weekend’s festivities and catch up with friends you might have missed at the park. Do you know any LGBTQ people who don’t love a good brunch? Neither do we.
The Open Entertainment Call
Are you an entertainer or performer of some type? Do you enjoy the feeling of the crowd’s adoration washing over you? Well now is your chance to apply to be a part of Tucson Pride 2022. They are currently looking for bands, dancers, comedians, DJ’s, drag performers, track entertainers, and more!
If you think you’ve got what it takes you have until July 31st to get your application in. You’ll need to include a letter of interest along with video samples or links to your work for review. Now is the time to showcase your talent! Spots are limited so we encourage you to act fast. Send submissions to NancyN@TucsonPride.Org
Just visiting?
Do you have friends or family coming into town to celebrate with you? Well, Tucson Pride just announced the official hotel for this year. Make your reservations at The Graduate, located off Main Gate Square at the University of Arizona. This hotel is shiny and new with eclectic design elements that showcase the beauty of the Sonoran Desert.
We’re talking rooftop heated swimming pool, firepits, and a bar and restaurant just for starters! Yes, all of that is on the roof. You can also bring your furry family with you if you like. This is going to be the place for after-parties so book your stay now.
2017 Pride is going to be so amazing! It happens to be the 40th anniversary of Tucson Pride. After a night of celebrating the Gay Pride on Parade down 4th Avenue, keep the party going, all the way to Reid Park.
Tucson Pride supports local businesses, drag performers, live stage entertainment, and so much more! Come show some love for your hosts Bunny Fufu and Tori Steel as they present an onslaught of talent for your entertainment. And not just local Tucson Pride talent either. There will be performers from all over the state as well as some national talent.
Each year Tucson Pride in the Park attracts over 4000 visitors who all agree that love is love. Please come join us.
Tickets are still available to purchase:
General-$15
*VIP-$75
Students, Seniors, and Military-$12 (must provide proof at the gate)
Kids 12 & Under FREE
Group discounts for 5 or more also available at 10% off
*VIP tickets to Pride in the Park 2017 include Fast access into the festival, VIP parking, 2 free drinks, 1 food ticket (in VIP area only), front access to the stage, meet and greet with performers, covered tent with A/C, cool giveaways throughout the day and so much more. (limited tickets, so get yours now!)
Now that we’ve had a few days to recover, I wanted to take some time and recap the incredible 2016 Gay Pride Weekend!  First of all, thanks needs to go out to the Tucson Pride Planning Board for serving up a fantastic slate of fun and meaningful events for this years celebration.  Let’s set them up for next year by donating today! Be sure to head back here after you’re done 🙂  Fun Photos below.
Now that we have the business out of the way, we can get to the fun! Lets start at the top:
Pride Friday Night
We have long held the Tucson Gay Pride Parade on the Friday before Tucson Pride, but that and a possible Block Party was the extent of the festivities for the night. Â This year was completely flipped on its head! Â Not only did we have the Tucson staple, Pride on Parade, but we were also treated to a host of events geared around the Gay Pride theme. Â The night went like this:
G3Pride Party During Tucson’s Gay Pride Weekend
G3Pride
Between the hours of 5 – 7, the Hut hosted Pete Kings infamous G3Pride Party! Â With great drink specials, pulse-pounding music and delicious dinner options, it was a fantastic way to start Pride Friday Night!
Pride On Parade
The Hut was also the perfect spot to enjoy a cocktail and cheer on the Tucson Pride on Parade as it proceeded down 4th Avenue.  With more floats and participants than ever, this year’s parade was truly a celebration of our amazing spirit and diversity.  I didn’t get any photos, but send us your pics today and I’ll post them on this page!
Rainbow Block Party
After the Parade, everyone headed over to RBARÂ for the Rainbow Block Party. Â If you’ve never been to RBAR, it’s a decadent little hole in the wall next to the Rialto Theatre with some of the best drinks in Tucson. Â The Rainbow Block Party featured a killer DJ spinning some great dance tunes, perfect for setting the stage for what came next.
Pride at the Rialto
The entire night built up to this moment, and Pride at the Rialto surely didn’t disappoint. Meticulously planned and flawlessly executed, Pride at the Rialto had something for everyone.  We were entertained by the stars of Ru Paul’s Drag Race, as hilarious as they were gorgeous, who came all the way from Hollywood to share their own unique brand of Pride.  The drinks were delightful, the food was delicious, and the show was divine; a wonderful capstone for a wonderful night!
Pride in the Park
With the stage set, it was time for Tucson’s Gay Pride flagship, Pride in the Park, to step into the spotlight. Â It was better than I had even expected!
I’d like to begin with a shout out to our amazing community! Â We were fun and rowdy but always respectful and everyone, every single person that I’ve spoken with had an excellent time. Â How many events can you say that about?
A Huge Crowd In Front of the Gay Pride Stage at Pride in the Park
And did I mention the size of the crowd?  By the time I was there, they had already admitted over 4,000 Tucsonans and the line was growing by the second.  This was the most well-frequented Tucson Gay Pride I have been to in many years and I love Tucson for being so supportive and kind.
The event itself was a marvel of crowd and performer synergy as it seemed every act built upon the previous and the entire presentation wove a tapestry of precious moments that I will never forget.  Everyone, from the excellent DJ’s to the talented singers and presenters was in top form and the crowd repeatedly roared its approval.
Me and Tempest DuJour Loving Tucson Pride in the Park 2016
Now, I might be a little biased, but the pinnacle of the event, atleast for me, had to be Tempest DuJour. Â Tempest is a world renowned performer whom hails from Tucson, so the event had to be extra special. Â We were given a small sample of his many talents and he left the audience starving for more. Â Be sure to get your Tempest DuJour fix by checking out Retro Game Night!
The Wrap-Up
If you didn’t have a chance to join us for Tucson Pride this year, you owe yourself to mark it on your calendar and come out next year.  This was the largest and most well-planned Tucson Pride event I have been to in a long time, and I used to plan them back in the day 😉 The Tucson Pride Board of Directors has set a high bar for themselves and I am excited to see what they have in store for us next year!  Thanks for reading!
Tony Ray
Tucson Gay Pride is known as “Pride in the Desert” and was held at Reid Park on October 9, 2010. Check out over 100 photos of Tucson Pride’s GLBT community celebrating pride below.
Retro Game Show Night is a hilarious event held every 2nd Saturday at Hotel Congress. Â Hosted by Tempest DuJour, Retro Game Show Night takes a fun new spin on old game shows from the 80’s and 90’s. Â Complete with high-quality lighting and stage setup, you become fully immersed in the event and will howl and laugh along with the rest of the audience. Â Feeling brave? Â Enter your name to become a contestant to win some amazing prizes! Â Check the Calendar for the next event and join GayTucson.com on the 2nd Saturday of each month for Retro Game Show Night at Hotel Congress!
