The Chilliwack Pride Festival is a wonderfully gay 2SLGBTQIA+ street festival with live music, drag performances and market vendors in downtown Chilliwack.

Celebrating its third year in 2023, the event took place on Saturday, August 19th. The date for the event in 2024 is to be confirmed. The festival features drag queens, live music, market vendors, food trucks and family-friendly activities. It’s a great event and admission is free.

For full details about the 2SLGBTQIA+-themed event, visit the Chilliwack Pride website.

Chilliwack Pride Festival

Downtown Chilliwack Pride Festival

The Chilliwack Pride Festival is an inclusive celebration of the city’s 2SLGBTQIA+ community. When it ran in 2022, the festival attracted over 20,000 people. The event happens in August and is free to attend. It’s organized by the Chilliwack Pride Society which works to support and advocate for the local 2SLGBTQIA+ community.

The festival is a pedestrian-only event with a variety of activities for all ages. There are dozens of vendors selling everything from art and bath products to fresh fruits and vegetables. Representatives from local organizations also have booths set up. The festival features several food trucks and multiple stages with live entertainment as well. There are also games for kids, a beer garden for adults, and some prizes up for grabs.

According to the Chilliwack Pride Society’s website, “the Chilliwack Pride Festival aims to uplift and empower people who identify as LGBTQIA+, Two-Spirit, Black, Indigenous, People of Color, or as having a disability and create a space of belonging, inclusion, and celebration.”

When and Where

In 2023 the festival took place on August 19th. The street celebration ran from 10:00 am until 4:00 pm in downtown Chilliwack. This was the first time the event happened on a Saturday. In past years it has been on a Sunday.

Activities happen all over the downtown area including along Victoria Avenue, Mill Street and Wellington Avenue. The event’s Main Stage is in Central Community Park at 45951 Victoria Avenue. Much of the downtown area of Chilliwack gets shut down for the event.

There is lots of street parking in the area as well as free accessible parking at Central Elementary School which is in downtown Chilliwack at 9435 Young Road.

For the event’s official website, visit chilliwackpride.com.

Entertainment Schedule

There were a couple of stages with live entertainment at this past year’s Chilliwack Pride Festival. In 2023 the Main Stage featured performances by a number of drag queens as well as a live auction and speeches by local politicians and community members. There was also a music stage a couple blocks away next to the beer garden.

Drag queen performers in 2023 included Hailey Adler, Aria Reddy, Anida (Queen of the Valley), Justin Abitt and Armand Hammer.

Below was the entertainment schedule for 2023.

Main Stage

The main stage was located at Central Community Park. The following was the schedule:

10:00 am: Opening Ceremony
10:30 am: Story Time
12:00 pm: Speeches
12:10 pm: Live Auction
12:20 pm: Drag Queen Performances
1:30 pm: Drag Queen Performances
2:45 pm: Drag Queen Finale
4:00 pm: Closing Remarks

Wellington Stage

As its name suggests, this stage was located along Wellington Avenue near College Street. Performing were the following:

11:45 am: Brittany Sovereign
12:30 pm: J Hughes
1:00 pm: Brittany Sovereign
1:45 pm: Diane Weisbrod
2:30 pm: Jada McKenzie-Moore

PLACES TO STAY IN CHILLIWACK

For information about hotels, inns, bed & breakfasts and campsites in the area, see the Tourism Chilliwack website. That’s where you’ll find information about places like the Chilliwack Coast Hotel which is a nice place in the heart of downtown.