Colorado's second-largest city (population 380,000), Colorado Springs is just an hour or so south of Denver and has a quite conservative reputation compared with the state capital and many other parts of the state. Indeed, this city edging the Rockies is home to a number of conservative religious and political groups, including the infamously homophobic Focus on the Family. That being said, quite a few lesbians and gays do call Colorado Springs home, and you'll find a smattering of gay bars here as well as many gay-friendly restaurants, shops, and hotels (including the posh and dignified Broadmoor resort, which enthusiastically welcomes LGBT guests). The nearby funky and artsy town of Manitou Springs is also quite popular with gays and lesbians and is one of the more progressive parts of the region.
Book rooms and compare rates on hotels in Colorado Springs during Gay Pride.
The city's Pride Center of Colorado Springs hosts Colorado Springs Gay Pride in mid-July - this year, which marks the 22nd anniversary of the event, the festivities take place on Saturday and Sunday, July 20 and 21, 2013.
More Colorado PrideFest 2013 details will be added as the date approaches; here's a look at last year's celebration:
Colorado Springs Gay Pride takes place over two days from 10 am until 6 in downtown's lovely Acacia Park (at 115 E. Platte Ave.) and includes a PrideFest Parade, a Colorado Pride commitment booth (gay marriage is not yet legal in Colorado), a beer garden, music three stages, and a group of more than 100 local vendors and community organizations.
Plenty of gay-popular restaurants, hotels, and shops will have a particularly gay following this weekend, as will top Colorado Springs gay bars like The Underground and Club Q. Check local resources, such Pride's organizer, the Pikes Peak Gay & Lesbian Community Center, and the city's hip alternative newsweekly, the Colorado Springs Independent. Also take a look at the travel site produced by the city's official tourism organization, the Colorado Springs CVB.
