If you're a fan of Pride celebrations but prefer a more intimate, scaled-down event to one that packs in tens of thousands of attendees, Capital City Pride may be just the event for you. Just keep in mind that even this relatively smaller event in Washington's state capital, Olympia, has been getting bigger and more popular each year. More than 7,500 attend this two-day event, which takes in mid-June (the dates for 2012 are June 9 and 10) - a full two weeks before gay pride in nearby Seattle, and a week before Portland Oregon Gay Pride. Still, even as Capital City Pride develops a stronger following each year, it remains a friendly, low-keyed event that's especially well suited to families and draws a diverse bunch of all ages.
Book rooms and compare rates on hotels in Olympia during Gay Pride.
Here's a look at last year's event, to give a sense of what you might expect in 2012:
The Capital City Pride Festival takes place over two days this year in Sylvester Park. Another new feature for this year is a Pride Beer Garden on both days. Headlining the event last year were singer and Broadway star Shoshana Bean, and pop singer Xavier Toscano was also performing both days.
The Capital City Pride Parade takes place on Sunday, at noon. It begins on the steps of the Washington State Capitol and it then proceeds north on Capitol Way, east on 4th Avenue, and south on Washington Street, ending at the Capital City Pride Festival in Sylvester Park.
Additionally, plenty of gay-popular restaurants, hotels, and shops will be extra busy during the weekend, and catering heavily to LGBT visitors. Check local gay papers, such as The Seattle Gay News, for details. Also take a look at the excellent travel site produced by the city's official tourism organization, the Olympia CVB.
