Going strong since 1980, St. Louis Gay Pride takes place the last weekend in June - the dates for next year have not been finalized, but if they follow tradition, they will likely be June 23 and June 24, 2012. This celebration in one of the Midwest's largest cities draws significant numbers of GLBT folks and friends from throughout eastern Missouri, southwestern Illinois, and other neighboring states in the Mississippi River region.
Here's a quick look at last year's St. Louis Gay Pride (details about 2012 will appear here as information is released):
St. Louis Gay Pride includes several events over four days including a commitment ceremony on Saturday at 3 pm. The major events include the St. Louis Gay PrideFest, which takes place Saturday and Sunday, from 11 am until 8 pm in the city's leafy Tower Grove Park (4256 Magnolia Ave.). The festival includes a food court, kids and family area, dance pavilion, and a main stage featuring performances by pop star and TV personality Kimberley Locke on Saturday, and openly lesbian country-western star Chely Wright, in addition to Summer Osborne, Joshua Klipp, Josh Zuckerman, the Gateway Men's Chorus, and others.
The city's St. Louis Gay Pride Parade is held Sunday, at noon and last about two hours. The parade begins at the corner of Utah and Grand Avenue and then continues up Grand to the entrance to Tower Park.
Additionally, plenty of gay-popular restaurants, hotels, and shops cater heavily to LGBT visitors during this time. Check local gay resources, such as Vital Voice gay newspaper, for details about the local scene. Also take a look at the excellent GLBT site produced by the city's official tourism organization, the St. Louis Convention & Visitors Bureau.
