PrideFest (Denver) facts for kids
PrideFest is a big yearly event in Denver, Colorado. It happens every June to celebrate the culture and history of the lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender community. The first Denver PrideFest was in 1976. This was the same year a local community center, now called the Center on Colfax, started. This center organizes the festival and parade each year.
The event includes a two-day festival at Civic Center Park. There's also a Pride 5K race. The celebration ends with a parade along Colfax Avenue. Denver PrideFest now welcomes about 525,000 visitors every year. This makes it one of the largest pride festivals and parades in the United States.
What is PrideFest?
PrideFest usually takes place on the third weekend of June. Many local places start their celebrations the week before. The whole event finishes on the Sunday after the festival. A part of Colfax Avenue is closed for the Sunday parade. This stretch goes from Franklin Street west to Broadway.
After the parade, roads around Civic Center Park stay closed. These include Broadway, the "Colfax Curve," Bannock, and 14th Avenue Parkway. This allows for a rally and a street fair. Many vendors set up booths. They sell things like handmade jewelry, stained glass, clothes, and food. Different companies and groups also have booths. They show their support for Colorado's LGBT community.
Performers from the local area and around the country entertain crowds on several stages. The festival usually ends in the early evening. Roads reopen about an hour after cleanup is finished.
The Parade
The PrideFest parade usually starts at 9:30 AM. Many companies and groups build floats for the parade. These floats show their support for LGBT rights. The parade starts at Cheesman Park. This park is in Denver's Capitol Hill neighborhood.
The parade travels north two blocks to Colfax Avenue. Then, it goes west toward downtown for about a mile. The parade finishes at Civic Center Park, near Broadway and Colfax.
Who Attends PrideFest?
Denver's PrideFest has often welcomed many people from the media and politics. These people support the LGBT community. Some well-known past attendees include:
- Former Colorado Governor and Denver Mayor John Hickenlooper. He supports the festival and marches every year.
- Former Denver Mayor Wellington Webb.
- Radio DJs like Jamie White and the team "Larry Ulibarri, Kendall and Kathy" from KS107.5.
- Members of the Denver City Council.
- Tiffany, an American singer.
- The Denver Gay Men's Chorus.
- Other performers and groups like Dear Marsha, Tracy Edwards, Daniel Lucio, RoyalRush Dance Troupe, and Nicole Torres and the Affiliates.
