Celebrating PRIDE in Prince Edward County🌈
Written by: Rebecca Brunette [May 22, 2019]
Get ready to show your true colours while showing your support for The County’s growing LGBTQ+ community from June 1st-8th. Pride celebrations are coming to Prince Edward County, and there is no shortage of ways to get involved! From pay-what-you-can yoga, to a buzzing market, to karaoke and more, the PEC Pride festivities will be running County-wide and are open to the whole family.
Pride celebrations are not new to The County—small scale events have been initiated by community members for years—however 2019 is the first year Pride will be celebrated with a week’s worth of programming and a unified voice. The newly rebranded Bay of Quinte Pride has been working with the Picton BIA to bring more Pride programming to The County, in order to incorporate the entire BOQ Region in the celebrations! You’ll see a bright update to Picton main street as Pride banners, boasting all the colours of the rainbow, will be displayed from Shire Hall to the LCBO—showing residents and visitors alike that Prince Edward County is a community that welcomes diversity.
“We’re ecstatic that this is happening! We have such a thriving queer community here in The County and having a County Pride is long overdue. We’re finally catching up.”
– Megan Marie Gates, of Wild Heart Healing Arts Space
Kicking-off the celebrations is a Pride Market in Picton’s Benson Park on June 1st. In addition to offering jumbo checker board, live music, and over a dozen LGBTQ+ vendors, the market will include the Opening Ceremonies for the Bay of Quinte Pride Celebrations. Later, plan to don your dancing shoes for a Pride Dance Party, catch a mid-week Queer Film at The Regent, and sing your heart out during Queer Karaoke at The County Canteen. And if you’re a lover of ice cream—honestly, who isn’t?—Slickers County Ice Cream is serving up a special flavour limited to Pride week on rainbow sprinkle cones! One thing’s for sure, PEC is a community that bands together in countless ways, and as LGBTQ+ events are continuing to be announced throughout May, celebrating Pride is no exception!
So if you’re hoping to fill your calendar with Pride events this June, look no further; we’ve got the what-where-when on Pride festivities happening County-wide!
Picton Pride Market
Saturday, June 1, 2019 at 10AM – 4PM
Enjoy a walk through the park as you discover LGBTQI+/Queer-owned businesses and non-profits at the Picton Pride Market. Expect a lively display of products and artwork, pay-what-you-can yoga with Wild Heart Healing Arts Space, payed on-site sauna use with Hothouse Mobile Sauna & Lounge (sliding fee $15-25), live music and more. Sauna goers need to bring a bathing suite and water vessel, while towels and water will be provided.
10am – Pride Market Opens
11am – Bay of Quinte Pride Opening Ceremonies
11-2pm – Face Painting
12-1pm – PWYC Yoga with Wild Heart Healing Arts
1:30-2pm – Kids Yoga with Wildheart Healing Arts
Yoga & Sound Practice
Monday, June 3, 2019 from 6PM – 7:15PM
Hosted by the owners of Wild Heart Healing Arts Space, queer-identified folks are invited to a soothing practice of Yoga & Sound in a space design for comfort, inclusion, and self-awareness. Soundscapes may feature crystal singing bowls, chimes, drumming and voice! This is a multi-sensory evening of movement and sound meditation to soothe your nervous system and build community. The event is ‘pay what you can’ with proceeds going to the Greater Than County Youth Collective.
Queer Film at The Regent Theatre
Wednesday, June 5, 2019 at 7:30PM
Catch this intimate coming-of-age story featuring two childhood friends at the County’s historic Regent Theatre! According to Toronto Star’s Bruce Demera, this is “a film about teenage sexuality with something to say.” Tickets are $9.00 a person and are available at the theatre on the night of the show. Please note that this film is rated R (for sexual content, language and some drug/alcohol use – all involving teens.)
Synopsis: Franky Winter (Josh Wiggins) and Ballas Kohl (Darren Mann) have been best friends since childhood. They are high school royalty: handsome, stars of the swim team and popular with girls. They live a perfect teenage life – until the night of Franky’s epic 17th birthday party, when Franky and Ballas are involved in an unexpected incident that changes their lives forever. Giant Little Ones is a heartfelt and intimate coming-of-age story about friendship, self-discovery and the power of love without labels.
Queer Karaoke with Nic and Nat
Wednesday, June 5, 2019 from 9PM – 12AM
Got a voice the entire world needs to hear? It’s
time to live out those visions of pop star grandeur with Queer Karaoke! Join
Nic, Nat, and The County Canteen crew for a night of entertainment (plus as
many renditions of Madonna as you have the lungs for). Feeling brave? Then
you’re invited to step up to the mic. This is a free event, however The Canteen
asks that you come dressed to impress—or cross dress!
Pride Patio Party
Friday, June 7, 2019 from 6PM – 11:30PM
The perfect Picton patio, new brews, colourful company—the Pride Patio Party is a shindig not to be missed! Be the first to try 555 Brewing’s newest beer, released in celebration of Pride week, and enjoy mixed entertainment with DJ Jason Ferguson. Be sure to bring your friends (and your dancing shoes!) Patio space is limited, so get your $5 tickets in advance via their Eventbrite page.
Prince Edward County is proud to be celebrating Pride with LGBTQ+ members and everyone participating in this inclusive and important week-long event! The collaboration within the community in support of Pride is something every County festival can aspire to.
“It’s been an evolving, collaborative process thus far, and largely informed by participants. We are all super excited to be putting this on, and look forward to building community around it as well.”
– Kamee, Owner of Hothouse Mobile Sauna & Lounge, and Pride Market organizer
