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 2013 are a bit later than usual, June 22 and 23) - 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.
More on Capital City Gay Pride 2013 will be posted here as information becomes available - here's a look at last year's event:
The Capital City Pride Festival takes place over two days this year in Sylvester Park. Draws for this festival, which runs from 10 until 5 each day, include a Pride Beer Garden, food, vendors, and activities for families and kids. Headlining the event this year are singer Brian Kent, soul and funk crooner Kim Archer, comic-music act Saul Tannenbaum and Friends.
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. Here's a map of the parade route.
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.
