Winter has traditionally been the time for bears around the world to hibernate. In Tucson, however, our bears do things a bit differently. Join Bears of the Old Pueblo each year in the early January to celebrate Fiesta De Los Osos! This once-a-year party is an incredible opportunity to make some new friends while you explore our amazing city!
Going on for almost 20 years, Fiesta De Los Osos has brought over 3,000 bears and buddies from around the world to enjoy the heat and friendliness of our desert town. In fact, it has become one of the largest and most anticipated Bear events in the country!
At each event, you can expect to find hundreds of fun, interesting bears to meet. creating La fete weekend one among the foremost anticipated bear events within the U.S.! As such, BOTOP decided to cap their attendance at 300 Bears, creating a fun and intimate experience for everyone. Get your tickets early to make sure you get a spot!
More Fun Gay Events in Tucson and Southern Arizona
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.
If you have any questions about the upcoming festivities you can send them to information@TucsonPride.Org.
Tucson Pride is in October, but for the rest of the country, it’s in June. You’ll know it by the mass rainbow apparel that starts popping up everywhere. Literally everywhere. But, if you’re like us and love seeing new pride merch up for grabs keep on keeping on. If you are interested in still participating in Pride here are some of the events you can find around Arizona in June while you wait for October to get here.
In Tucson
Pride Exhibition at Crooked Tooth Brewing
Local artists Sophie McTear and Trevor Mock will have their work up on display while the bar serves Pride-themed drinks and specials. Opening June 4th at 6 pm.Pride Night with the FC Team
FC Tucson is the pro soccer team in town. They are celebrating their LGBT+ Pride Night at our match on Saturday, June 11th at 7:00 PM. Great group rates for 10 or more. Friends of GayTucson.com get the early bird special even if it’s not early!
Tucson Pride Bar Crawl
Yes, it’s exactly what it sounds like. A pub crawl. So, if you’re into libations you might want to get tickets early! Happening on June 18th.
For more pride events check out our calendar!
Elsewhere
Mojave County Pride, Glow
Do you have friends in Mojave County? If so you can enjoy Pride with them on June 11 & 12th from 11:00 am to 8:00 pm. This is a completely family fun weekend. Adult themes are only available at the afterparties.
Bisbee Pride, Express Yourself:Bisbee Pride returns on June 17, 18, & 19th 2022. It’s always a good time at Bisbee Pride, there is Pride Village, street dancing, a tea dance, a Gayme Night and so much more. Grab some friends, rent an Air B&B and enjoy the entire weekend!
Pride in the Pines
Those of you in Northern Arizona have Flagstaff Pride to look forward to on June 18th from 12-9:00 pm. Thorpe Park Ball Fields is the venue so remember to wear sunscreen.
Proud To Be Seen in Tubac
This is a national juried art exhibition that will be up for the entirety of June at the Bruce Baughman Studio and Gallery. Exhibiting artists are interpreting PRIDE.
Rocky Point Diversity Pride Parade
This is the 2nd annual Puerto Peñasco Pride Parade happening on June 25that 5 pm. Technically it’s not in Arizona but it’s close enough if you want a little getaway a little south of the border. Meeting at the Plaza de la Madre o Malecon Fundadores to kick things off.
We hope to see you there!
Just like everywhere else, COVID-19 has shuttered the landscape of local events in Tucson. We have been keeping an active calendar of all the amazing things to do in Tucson for almost 10 years. Sadly this is the fewest events we have ever seen so please attend some! Firstly, many people are becoming more and more savvy with technology and forward-looking organizations have moved their events online. So please keep reading to learn about all the wonderful virtual gatherings you can attend with our Southern Arizona Senior Pride Zoom Meeting Schedule!
What Is The Senior Pride Zoom Event Schedule?
Senior Pride has long been one of the most active community organization in Tucson. They regularly hold support groups, fun events, and learning workshops. This is to keep us informed as we move through the later stages of our lives.
Some of their re-occurring groups include:
Senior Pride AA Meeting, Every Monday, 7-8:00pm. This is an open meeting, available to all persons with interest in the AA program of recovery. For example the format is Step Meeting (12×12), reading and discussing selections from the AA publication, Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions. To attend, please send meeting coordinator your email address: aasrlgbt@gmail.com
Senior Pride Speaker Series – A wonderful group that has brought in some of Tucson’s luminaries to address our community. For instance the Speaker Series is a powerful way to learn more about what is happening in the community. This event comesis to you by the real movers and shakers in Tucson. The next event occurs on Tuesday, June 9, 2-3:00 pm, so go sign up. Topic: Safety for Older Adults: Beware of Scams, Making Homes Secure, and Fall Prevention. Presented by: Margo Susco, Tucson Police Department’s Community Engagement Coordinator, and TPD volunteer Allan Tractenberg because these issues are critical to our aging community. Request your Zoom invitation link and password by email to info@soazseniorpride.org
Senior Pride Book Club – The Book Club meets monthly to discuss the current selection. They often host roundtables with authors and publishers and help bring context to the selected narrative. So the next Book club meeting occurs on Wednesday, June 17, at 2-3:30 pm. They will be discussing this month’s selection: On Earth We’re Briefly Gorgeous: A Novel, by Ocean Vuong. In this first novel by the 2019 MacArthur “Genius” Award winning poet. It comes in the form of a letter from a son to his mother regarding the effects of the Vietnam War, however she doesn’t want to listen. https://www.npr.org/2019/06/05/729691730/on-earth-is-gorgeous-all-the-way-through The book was on the long-list by the National Book Awards in 2019. So remember, you must request your Zoom invitation link and password by email to: info@soazseniorpride.org
What Else?
Southern Arizona Senior Pride’s will send you a Zoom invitation that provides an easy-to-use link to access the meeting. In order to get this invitation, you must first send your request to one of the email addresses listed above. Please be sure to include your desired meeting date, time, and a description of the event. We want to make Senior Pride sends the proper meeting link. To learn more about Zoom visit the “Meetings and Support Groups” section of their website www.soazseniorpride.org
Tucson is lucky enough to have two Gay Pride celebrations annually visit our fabulous community. The first Gay Pride occurs in June, which coincides with the Stonewall Rebellion and subsequent public demonstrations. The second Pride comes a bit later in the year. That time is finally upon us! Join us as we celebrate with two iconic events: Tucson Pride Parade and Pride in the Desert.
Pride Parade 2019
The Tucson Pride Parade has a long, rich history in our community. This year will watch the procession proceed from Broadway / Craycroft and head towards Reid Park, where we will meet up with the festival.
I am so happy Tucson Pride decided to hold the Pride Parade immediately before the festival. The parade used to be organized on the night before, while allowed for some fantastic after-parties, it meant the two events were disunited from each other with little overlap. By having one naturally lead into the other, the Pride Parade and the festival will have increased synergy and provide an even better representation of our amazing community!
Pride in the Desert (or Park) has always been the flagship event of Tucson Pride weekend. Featuring hilarious hosts, marvelous musical performances and fantastic shows, Pride in the Desert truly has something for everyone. There are adorable shops with Pride souvenirs and phenomenal fashion vendors to get you looking your best. It is a wonderfully welcoming, safe space for everyone to be themselves and have a blast!
It’s finally here! I feel like a kid on Christmas! It’s Gay Pride Month. Just because our Tucson Gay Pride isn’t until September doesn’t mean we can’t celebrate with the rest of the world. Keep reading to learn when and where to go this month in your Tucson Gay Pride Guide 2019!
Where to Go to Celebrate Gay Pride in Tucson
There is another party every weekend in Tucson, and you’re invited! What follows is a comprehensive list of everything we could find, updated as soon as we find something new! Do you know about a great event that isn’t on this list? Do not hesitate to use the contact form to the right (below for mobile users) and let us know about it!
Please join Dr. Matt Heinz, Adam Ragan, State Rep. Andrés Cano, Elva De La Torre & Kara Jones, Wendell Hicks, Jaime Tadeo, Ethan Cox-Smith & Michael Bilharz, Karin Uhlich, Kelly
Event Details
Please join Dr. Matt Heinz, Adam Ragan, State Rep. Andrés Cano, Elva De La Torre & Kara Jones, Wendell Hicks, Jaime Tadeo, Ethan Cox-Smith & Michael Bilharz, Karin Uhlich, Kelly Fryer, Laura De La Torre, Miki Odawa as well as other LGBTQ community advocates in support of Tucson Mayoral candidate Regina Romero!
Tucson Pride Tour 2019 returns this month with a special audience participation evening! Join us for “A Night At The Movies” drag style June 1st. Doors open at 6pm. Show
Event Details
Tucson Pride Tour 2019 returns this month with a special audience participation evening! Join us for “A Night At The Movies” drag style June 1st. Doors open at 6pm. Show begins at 7 pm with our fabulous host Miss Jessica Michaels. All proceeds benefit the nonprofit organization Tucson Pride for the purposes of funding operations, programming and the annual Tucson Pride in the Desert festival. Tickets available now online for $5 plus convenience fee. Seating is limited.
ONE Community is proud to partner with the Phoenix Business Journal on the 3rd annual LGBTQ Business Summit.
Attendees will be the first to see up-to-the-minute data
Event Details
ONE Community is proud to partner with the Phoenix Business Journal on the 3rd annual LGBTQ Business Summit.
Attendees will be the first to see up-to-the-minute data about Arizona’s LGBTQ community and current best practices for marketing to this growing consumer demographic. Corporate responsibility and diverse and inclusive environments are key to creating a thriving and sustainable workforce. This summit is perfect for corporate leaders, managers, ERG members and small business owners alike.
We will begin the day with a presentation on the LGBTQ community in Arizona and the economic benefits of corporate responsibility and inclusion. After we cover the basics, we’ll dive into breakout sessions and discuss the current landscape of LGBTQ non-inclusive laws and how they impact our state’s ability to be competitive and create a sustainable future for all Arizonans.
Breakout Session 1
Option #1 – Inclusion and Belonging: Presented by Katee Van Horn, Founder and CEO of Bar the Door and Tyler Conaway, Global Pride board member, PayPal
Option #2 – Religious Freedom and Public Accommodations: Presented by Zachary Kramer, Associate Dean of Faculty, Professor of Law, and the William H. Pedrick Distinguished Research Scholar at Arizona State University
Breakout Session 2
Option #1: HR Policies & Procedures: Presented by Nonnie Shivers, partner Ogletree, Deakins, Nash, Smoak & Stewart, P.C. Nonnie regularly speaks and trains on current and emerging employment law topics, including recent presentations to industry and trade groups on LGBTQ workplace issues.
ONE Community Foundation invites you to ONE Night Only–THE BEST party of the summer! We will be celebrating LGBTQ Pride month in style while sharing the personal stories of some of
Event Details
ONE Community Foundation invites you to ONE Night Only–THE BEST party of the summer! We will be celebrating LGBTQ Pride month in style while sharing the personal stories of some of our dearest friends and partners, people whose lives have been enriched by the work that we do. Get to know us and learn why this is the ONE Community that you need to be a part of! Learn how you can help us turn the tide and create an Arizona that celebrates, respects and protects us all!
Drinks, appetizers, a live band, auction items and so much more!
Featuring: The Instant Classics
The hardest working band in the known universe.
A $25,000 matching grant from the Gill Foundation – doubles your impact at ONE Night Only!
General Admission tickets are $75.00 and include ONE complimentary beverage, appetizers and desserts. Use code OCEB19 to receive your 20% early bird discount.
“Treasures for TIHAN,” the signature fundraising benefit commemorates 25 years of TIHAN’s service with a spectacular event! Join us for a sparkling evening
Event Details
“Treasures for TIHAN,” the signature fundraising benefit commemorates 25 years of TIHAN’s service with a spectacular event! Join us for a sparkling evening of cocktails, great music, fantastic food, and wonderful auction items. Enjoy great hors d’oeuvres, festive entertainment, a no-host cantina, and a live and silent auction!
Thanks to generous donors and friends, we’ve got a fabulous evening planned for you, with hundreds of amazing auction items for you to bid on and win. Come out to the Marriott University Park Tucson Hotel for great food and drink, entertainment, and check out these items you can bid on and win!
SPARKLE & SILVER!
Join Tucson treasure Lupita Murillo and hundreds of Tucsonans for the biggest party of the year to benefit the programs and services that TIHAN provides for people living with HIV. The event is Saturday, June 15 at 6:00pm at the Marriott University Park, located at 880 E 2nd Street (University and Euclid Avenue), with FREE PARKING in the garage right next door (or you can choose valet parking for a small fee).
For this milestone anniversary year, our event theme is “SPARKLE & SILVER!” Come enjoy the biggest fundraising event of the year to support the programs and services of TIHAN and help people with HIV to live well!
Get Your Tickets Now!
Advance tickets for the event are $65 each, and can be purchased as late as Friday June 14. Early Bird Special – Save $10! Buy 2 tickets by May 21 for the price of $120.
By clicking the secure link below to purchase tickets online, or
By calling 299-6647 (credit card orders can be taken by phone), or
From any Treasures volunteer, or
By visiting the TIHAN office between 8:30 AM and 4:30 PM
2660 North 1st Avenue Tucson, Arizona 85719 (north of Grant Road on east side of 1st Ave)
Or, you can purchase tickets at the door on the day of the event for $75 each.
Tucson Marriott University Park Hotel 880 E 2nd St
The value of food and services received in return for each ticket purchase is $30.
Buy raffle tickets to have a chance to win $1,000 cash!
Raffle tickets are $20 for five tickets or $50 for fifteen tickets.
June 20th will be our monthly breakfast meeting in which we announce the establishment of our Foundation. The Tucson LGBT Chamber Foundation will be announced at this meeting. Details of
Event Details
June 20th will be our monthly breakfast meeting in which we announce the establishment of our Foundation. The Tucson LGBT Chamber Foundation will be announced at this meeting. Details of the purpose of the foundation will be announced at this breakfast meeting.
Join us for our 3rd year! Come out and help us raise $ for this awesome cause. Celebrate PRIDE and help Southern AZ’s trans community.
Southern Arizona Gender Alliance is a non-profit organization that supports and advocates for southern Arizona’s community of trans identities: transsexual, transgender, genderqueer, masculine of center, feminine of center, non-binary, two-spirit, butch, femme, gender fluid, intersex, and ALL of us who are gender fabulous!
SAGA envisions a society in which transgender, non-binary, and gender-creative people are ensured of their basic rights and can be open, honest and safe at home and in the community. We provide support groups, advocacy, community education, and training for businesses, service providers, and community members on how our allies can be supportive and inclusive.
Tickets are $15 purchased in advance and include 2 hours of bowling and shoe rental. We will also have some great Raffle prizes!
Are there ID or minimum age requirements to enter the event?
Nope! If you are over 21 have your ID for the bar!
What are my transportation/parking options for getting to and from the event?
There is a large parking lot with parking in front, on the side & behind
How can I contact the organizer with any questions?
Email jennifer@thetacoteam.org or MSG on our Facebook page www.facebook.com/taco.team2016
Do I have to bring my printed ticket to the event?
It helps! But I will have a list.
Can our team have their own lane?
Yes, minimum per lane is 5 bowlers but max is 7. We pay per lane so the more bowlers per lane the more $ we raise for SAGA.
Can I come even if I don’t bowl?
ABSOLUTELY! We only pay for the lanes we use, so if you want to buy a ticket and just be a spectator or cheerleader for our bowlers and enjoy the food, drink & raffle prizes, COME ON DOWN!
Why Does the Rest of the World Celebrate Gay Pride in June?
Like most things Gay History in this country, it all started with Stonewall. Read all about it in our Brief History of Gay Pride in the US. It’s a fascinating look at where we’ve been with a nod towards where we are going.
What Can You Tell Me About Tucson Gay Pride?
It’s coming soon and, like anything worthwhile, it’ll be here before you know it. As far as the details you crave, I don’t have much. From years past, I expect to start learning about the when and where of Tucson Gay Pride within the next month or so. As always, you’ll find out as soon as I do! Till then, keep it tuned to GayTucson and better prepare yourself for what to expect by reading our page Tucson Gay Pride throughout the years.