The fifth annual Airdrie Pride festival returns June 28 and once again will offer a chance to reflect on how far we’ve come in terms of LGBTQ2S+ inclusion — and how far we’ve yet to go.
The event is organized by the Airdrie Pride Society, and Executive Director Rhianne Fiolka says the purpose of the society — and the festival — is to help people form connections and show that Airdrie is an accepting community.
“To be a part of Airdrie Pride is great,” says Fiolka, who joined the Society in 2020, not long after moving to the city. “Joining this organization has allowed me to help promote safe spaces for the queer community in Airdrie and connect with the city.
“We think that the festival is a really awesome way to show inclusion because businesses and organizations from across the city are coming together to show that they’re providing welcoming spaces throughout in the city.”
The festival will kick off with a Solidarity Walk from City Hall to Nose Creek Regional Park beginning at 10:30 a.m. Fiolka stresses that this is not a parade, but rather a walk that upholds and recognizes the resilience of the LGBTQ2S+ community.
The park will host a flag-raising ceremony at 11:30 a.m., followed by a speech from local youth. The festival kicks off at 12 p.m., featuring performances from local talents like Robert Adam, Tea Fanny and Drag for All Ages. The event will run until 4 p.m., with shows, local businesses and non-profit vendors, activities, and food trucks.
Attending the festival is a good way to show solidarity with neighbours, says Airdrie Pride Executive Director Kiersten Mohr.
While the festival is the highlight of the year for the Airdrie Pride Society, its work continues year-round, says Mohr.
“Part of my motivation to get involved with Pride was to find the community that I needed when I was navigating my transition,” says Mohr, who is transgender. “I think one of the guiding principles we established with Airdrie Pride is to support folks to finding their community, in their community. We don’t want people to have to go to Calgary to find community and feel safe in their neighbourhood.
“When I was navigating my journey, everyone just said to go to Calgary or other places. But there are a lot of LGBTQ2S+ people in Airdrie, so having queer visibility in the city is integral.”
A priority focus for Airdrie Pride is youth, especially those who can’t easily find support outside Airdrie; having access to community within this city is important.
“We love offering more opportunities for the community to come together,” says Fiolka. “I love seeing the joy in the pride community, especially the youth. Empowering youth is a cornerstone of Airdrie Pride [and] giving them space to meet up together and see them build connections is vital.”
Fiolka says the society has partnered with other non-profits like Community Links, BGC Airdrie Club and other organizations to co-host events and swap training sessions. For example, Airdrie Pride offers a “2SLGBTQ+ 101” workshop, and has offered it to companies and organizations throughout Airdrie and beyond.
Airdrie Pride also works with other community partners on their missions to empower youth, and provides resources to those in Airdrie who are looking for support.
“We’ve done a lot of training through the Rocky View Schools and with different extracurricular organizations like dance studios,” says Mohr. “Part of our goal is to make sure that Airdrie Pride isn’t the only safe and inclusive place in the community, and the way we do that is through partnerships and giving people the knowledge and skills to create as many safe places as we can. What we see over and over again in Airdrie is that the community helps one another.”
Mohr encourages the community to be visible and vocal when they can.
“We are visible and have voice,” says Mohr. “There’s a lot of us who are out and proud and advocating.”
Another upcoming Pride event is the third annual Queer Prom for youths from grades 9 to 12. The free event, in collaboration with BGC Airdrie Club, will be held June (venue will be announced in the near future on Airdrie Pride’s social media).
For more information about the Airdrie Pride Society and Pride Festival, visit airdriepride.ca.
