Utah Pride Festival is held every summer in downtown Salt Lake City to celebrate diversity and gather the LGBTQ+ community. The festival includes the parade and a film festival, the Dyke March, an interfaith service as well as many parties and receptions. The event gets much attention from politicians and civil rights groups. Salt Lake City Mayor Rocky Anderson and Utah Rep. Jackie Biskupski, the state's first openly lesbian legislator, were speakers at the festival.
Participants of the Salt Lake City Pride Parade have included Mayor Ralph Becker, County Mayor Ben McAdams, Boy Scouts, as well as Mormons Building Bridges, Mormons for Equality, the Provo Pride Council, Westminster College, and Weber State University. Altogether about 140 organizations participate.
Utah Pride Festival Events
The Utah Pride Festival creates a vibrant and inclusive set of events for LGBTQ+ individuals and allies. The Pride Interfaith Worship Service starts the Pride Festival at Congregation Kol Ami on May 30 at 7 pm. The 2024 theme is "Queering Faith." On the following day, the Pride March and Rally kicks off at the State Capitol at 10 am and features music, speeches, entertainment, and more. After the rally, the march will continue the celebration, featuring live performances, community engagement, and food vendors. The Utah Pride Festival begins at Washington Square Park at 11 am and ends at 10 pm.
Utah Pride Parade, the biggest celebration of Pride, will take place on June 2, at 10 am. A free event march through Downtown Salt Lake City, followed by a second festival day (from 12 pm to 7 pm).
Festival Hours and Tickets
The Festival runs from 11 am to 10 pm on Saturday and 12 pm until 7 pm on Sunday. Two types of tickets are available: 1-day Festival Admission ($5- $15) and 2-day Festival Admission ($10-$30).
Pride Festival History
The SLC Pride Festival dates back to 1977, when the first conference dedicated to gender equality took place in Salt Lake City. The first Pride Parade was held in 1990 at the state capitol building. The festival gathered from 15,000 to 50,000 spectators. The organizer Utah Pride Center's mission is to unite, empower, and celebrate Utah's diverse LGBTQ+ community. In some years, about as many as 100,000 attendees had joined the parade. Since 2009, the Utah Pride Festival has been held in Salt Lake City and County Building.
