In 2013, the Pride Parade was granted official civic status by the City of Vancouver. The grand marshal in 2010 was Nikolai Alekseev from Moscow, Russia. Often it is a person representing a country where similar events are banned and gay people are still persecuted. A regular feature of each parade is an institution of parade marshals. Among the regulars are the Vancouver Police and Fire Departments, Dykes on Bikes, PFLAG, Little Sister's Bookstore, and many of the bars and clubs from the Davie Village. The parade has a contingent of approximately 150 entries, including cars, floats and marching units. Starting at 12 noon on the day of the Pride Festival, at Robson Street and Thurlow Street, the parade heads west down Robson to Denman Street, follows Denman to Pacific and Beach Avenues and finishes at the Sunset Beach Festival site. The annual Pride parade is the largest parade in Western Canada, and one of the largest in North America. The events are funded through annual donations, corporate sponsorships, the City of Vancouver, parade entry fees, festival vendor fees, and donations collected during events. In addition, many hundreds of volunteers are involved in running the events. The VPS is managed by a 9-member volunteer board of directors and a handful of paid staff, who handle the finances, logistics and operations of the organization and events. The mission of the VPS is that it "strives to produce events that reflect the pride the LGBTQAI2S+ community has in itself, by strengthening the sense of community, and contributing to the vibrancy, health and overall well-being of all persons in the community." The Pride Parade and Festival is run by the Vancouver Pride Society (VPS), a not-for-profit, volunteer-run organization. Ģ014 Vancouver Pride Parade Leadership and organization A public art exhibition was also held with pieces from local two-spirit, trans and queer artists displayed around the city.
The Vancouver Pride Society has dubbed the festival #vanvirtualpride 2020 and it culminates on August 2 with a virtual parade. Vancouver's Pride Parade is the largest parade of any kind in Western Canada.ĭue to the COVID-19 pandemic in British Columbia and the BC Provincial Health Officer order restricting mass gatherings to 50 people or less, 2020 Pride in-person events were moved online.
It is run by the Vancouver Pride Society ( VPS), a not-for-profit, volunteer-run organization that seeks to "produce inclusive, celebratory events, and advocacy for LGBTQAI2S+". The Vancouver Pride Parade and Festival is an annual LGBT Pride event, held each year in Vancouver, British Columbia, to celebrate lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender people and their allies. Canadian prime minister Justin Trudeau, MP Jody Wilson-Raybould and Vancouver mayor Gregor Robertson at the 2018 Pride Parade