13 FREE events you have to check out during Montreal Pride week

Aug 2 2018, 2:29 am

Every August, Montreal Pride (Fierté Montreal) takes over the streets in The Village and welcomes the world’s LGBTQ+ community for 10 days of celebrations.

Hundreds of events happen throughout mid-August to honour the community including the famous Pride Parade, Drag Queen shows and the unforgettable Mega T-Dance party.

For Gay, lesbian, trans or any other shade of the rainbow, Montreal Pride is booming with activities for everyone.

As Pride kicks off next week, we’ve assembled the 13 best free events you have to be a part of.

Flag Raising

LGBTQ

 Marc Bruxelle/ Shutterstock

Displaying the colours with the raising of the rainbow flag is always one of the strongest emotional moments of the Pride festival. A symbol of the globalLGBTQ+ movement, it symbolizes the affirmation, the diversity and the pride of the communities.

When: Friday, August 10
Time: 6 pm – 6:30 pm
Where: Parc des Faubourgs • TD Stage

Lighting of the Montreal Tower

For the fifth year in a row, the Olympic Stadium’s Tower will be illuminated with the colours of the rainbow. The curved spine of the famous structure is a spectacular sight and is totally Instagram-worthy.

When: Sunday, August 19
Time: 8 pm – 3 am
Where: Olympic Park

Queer Market

Support local creatives and businesses in a market that celebrates Pride. The market prioritizes the participation of Black, Indigenous and People of colour and trans and gender non-conforming persons.

When: Saturday, August 11
Time: 12:30 pm – 4 pm
Where: Centre communautaire de loisirs Ste-Catherine d’Alexandrie

The Pride Parade

celebrate pride Month

Alexander Sviridov/Shutterstock

The Pride Parade is an LGBTQ tradition that has been going on since 1979, it’s a show of the community’s solidarity, strength, and demand for the same respect, dignity, and basic rights as those granted to heterosexuals.

Streets from Rue Metcalfe to Rue Alexandre-DeSève on Boulevard René-Lévesque are completely closed off to motorists and makes way for 2.7 km of dancing, music, costumes and a whole lot of colours.

When: Sunday, August 19
Time: 1 pm and 4 pm
Where: Rue Metcalfe to Rue Alexandre-DeSève on Boulevard René-Lévesque

Youth BBQ

The Youth BBQ activity is a safe space reserved for young people (aged 14 to 25) who identify as lesbian, gay, bisexual, pansexual, trans, intersex, queer, questioning, asexual and two-spirit. It’s an opportunity to mix with the diversity of peers and celebrate solidarity in a relaxed and festive atmosphere.

When: Saturday, August 11
Time: 6 pm – 8 pm
Where: Parc des Faubourgs

Literary Pride Open Air Book Fair

Montreal Pride/Facebook

The Montreal Literary Pride Open Air Book Fair has become a Pride tradition. It gives opportunities for people to discover great new books from LGBTQ authors who write pieces about people and issues.

Though books are purchased on site, free meet and greets, Q&A and autographs are available.

When: Saturday, August 18
Time: 11 am – 5 pm
Where: Various spots along Rue Ste. Catherine Est

Art in Sky

The Roman Catholic parish church of St. Peter the Apostle celebrates daily music and art performances in celebration of our ancestors and the dignity and pride of every one.

The church, constructed in 1853, is subtly, powerfully and beautifully decorated to show its support to the community.

When: August 9 – 19
Time: 1 pm – 2 pm
Where: Church of Saint-Pierre-Apotre

Illusion Concert

Over 30 drag queens will be on stage with high-calibre acts mixing costumes, music and dancing. This year’s special guest is Ada Vox, the runner-up on American Idol.

The newest tradition for the festival is the Drag Challenge. Three Quebec public figures and celebrities are playing along and dressing in drag for the evening and performing a routine.

When: Friday, August 10
Time: 8 pm – 11 pm
Where:  Parc des Faubourgs – TD Stage

The Crazy Condom Race

Pride

A bevy of 30 drag queens, all dolled up and perched on spectacularly high stilettos, compete in an obstacle course race where the secondary objective is to bag as many condoms as they can. The main goal of the race is lots of laughter.

When: Thursday, August 9
Time: 6 pm – 8 pm
Where: Rue Ste. Catherine Est, corner of Rue Plessis

The Mega T-Dance Party

The Mega T-Dance Party wraps up the Pride festivities with a massive dance party that features 3 renowned DJs and various synchronized dance routines. Spain’s DJ Suri joins DJ Morabito and Grammy winner, Hex Hector for an evening of trance, hip-hop, house and dance tunes.

When: Sunday, August 19
Time: 3 pm – 11 pm
Where: Parc des Faubourgs – TD Stage

Yoga Kundalini

This high-energy yoga session is led by renowned yogi Pierre Appleby and combines several meditation, exercise, breath, posture and mantra techniques in which lower-body energy is slowly released in exchange for upper-body energy.

When: Saturday, August 11
Time: 4 pm – 5 pm
Where: Rue Sainte-Catherine Est, corner of Rue Plessis

L Cinema

This evening of screenings will offer several short fiction, medium-length and feature independent films and documentaries on the diverse realities faced by LGBTQ+ women.

All interested persons (LGBTQ+ and allies) are invited to join the screenings for a unique event of film projections and discussions of political gestures aimed at promoting the life experiences of women rarely visible in the mainstream media.

When: Monday, August 13
Time: 7 pm – 11 pm
Where: Community Centre for Gay and Lesbians of Montréal

Closing Show

Montreal Pride/Facebook

Well known for their highly entertaining and energized explosive numbers of glamour and humour, Tracy Trash, Una Gahd and LaDrag On-fly prepare for a grand finale of the festival.

Anything is possible with the Queens who make sure the festival bids ‘au revoir’ with a bang.

When: Sunday, August 19
Time: 10:30 pm – 11 pm
Where: Parc des Faubourgs – TD Stage

DH Montreal StaffDH Montreal Staff

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