Missouri's fifth-largest city, Columbia, is also one of the progressive hubs of the state, home as it is to the University of Missouri. Informally nicknamed "CoMo," this city of about 110,000 lies roughly midway between Kansas City and St. Louis and just 30 miles north of the Missouri state capital, Jefferson City. Like many large university towns, Columbia is anchored by a pedestrian-friendly, eclectic downtown rife with cafes, bars, restaurants, and indie shops - this is also where the annual Columbia Gay Pride celebration, known officially as Mid-Missouri PrideFest, has taken place in mid-June in the past but moved last year to mid-August. The date for 2013 hadn't been announced as of this writing, but details will be posted here when they become available.
Book rooms and compare rates on hotels in Columbia during Gay Pride.
Mid-Missouri PrideFest is a free event with food, live entertainment on a main stage, and a vendor fair with businesses and community organizations. At 2 pm there's an interfaith service at Peace Park (at Elm St. and S. 7th St.), and DJs will spin music throughout the day.
Additionally, gay-popular bars, restaurants, hotels, and shops in the area have more going on than usual during Pride Weekend. Also take a look at the excellent visitor site produced by the city's official tourism organization, the Columbia Convention and Visitors Bureau.
