A scenic, artsy city with a major university presence, Tucson has always been a welcoming place for gays and lesbian to live and visit, so it's no surprise that the city holds a particularly well-attended Gay Pride festival, called Pride in the Desert. Held during the region's beautiful, sunny autumn, Pride in the Desert has taken place here since 1977, and these days it pulls in not only members of the local community but plenty of GLBT folks from Arizona's largest city, Phoenix, as well as relatively nearby Southwestern cities like El Paso and Albuquerque. Pride in the Desert takes place over October 9 and 10 in 2009, with a Pride Parade the first day, and a huge festival the second day.
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Here's a look at some of the key activities that make up Tucon Gay Pride this year:
On Friday evening, October 9, from 6 pm until 9 pm, the the city's Pride on Parade. It's led this year by celebrity grand marshal (and wildly funny and engaging comedian/actress) Margaret Cho and community grand marshal(s), the Desert Voices - Tucson's LGBT chorus. The procession commences at lovely Catalina Park (E. 2nd St. and N. 4th Ave.), and then moves south along North 4th Avenue, turning east onto East 7th Street and ending at the Wingspan GLBT Community Center. Here's a full map of the parade route.
The following day, at Reid Park (at E. 22nd St. and S. Country Club Rd.), the Pride in the Desert Festival takes place from 10 am until 8 pm and features dozens of prominent performers. This year's lineup includes such notables as Jonny McGovern & Team Pimp, Ari Gold, Adam Joseph, God-des & She, Boys R Us, Marc Pedraza, Courtney Robbins, Namoli Brennet, Dragstar Cabaret, Angie Evans, Sabra Faulk, Patty Larkin, and many others. Performances on the Main Stage are emceed by Mistress of Ceremonies Bunny Fu Fu, and there's additional talent performing at folk-spirited Coffeehouse Stage.
Of course, additionally, area gay bars as well as gay-popular restaurants, hotels, and shops have special events and parties centered around Pride Weekend. Check local gay papers, such as Wingspan Center's newsletter, Echo Magazine, and ION Arizonafor details. Also check out the excellent visitor information site produced by the Tucson Convention & Visitors Bureau.
