“Last year, we pulled a festival together in about six weeks, and it was a bit disheartening to hear people say they didn’t know Pride had even happened. With months of prep this time around, I hope we do the (COVID reimagined) festival justice,” says Fiona Kerr, Halifax Pride’s operations and communications manager, in a recent diary-entry series about planning Pride during a pandemic written for The Coast. It might be a bit early to call it, but we think Kerr and company will accomplish the goal: This year’s Pride guide is full of fun activities, informative discussions—of community building and connection in a million different hues. Here, we’re sharing a handful of the events we’re most excited about—but don’t forget to peep the entire list on Halifax Pride’s site.
Halifax Pride Comedy Show & After Party
Local queer comics return to the stage for storytelling and joke sharing, hosted by legendary comedic drag queens Heckella Jeckyll and Miranda Wrights.
Thu Aug 12, 9-midnight, $12/PWYC
Testing! Testing! Queer Music Showcase
A host of the city’s brightest musical talent—the cinematic rock of Dance Movie, the sunny-sounding punk of Century Egg, Burry’s indie-folk gold and the heavyweight hit of indie rocker Hillsburn—makes this show a must-see.
Sat Aug 14, 9pm, Garrison Grounds, Halifax Citadel, $11.62/PWYC
Sun Aug 15, 8pm; Thu Aug 19, 7:30pm; The Garden Halifax, 1446 Queen Street; zaramatrix.com/events for tix and details
Youth and Elders Story Salon
An official festival event that sees generational knowledge shared and new bonds built, this evening mixes interviews, storytelling and open-mic time, with the fest itself adding: “Stories of coming out, stories of staying in, stories of loves found and lost and found again, stories of families biological and.. just logical, all these story threads weave the rich tapestry describing our community current and past.”
Sun Aug 15, 6-7pm, Garrison Grounds, Halifax Citadel, free
All Tongues: 2SLGBTQ+ Immigrant Hangout
Newcomers and those who identify as immigrants are welcome to mingle at this causal mixer aimed at providing support and making connections.
Wed Aug 18, 6-8pm, Garrison Grounds, Halifax Citadel
Halifax Gay Men’s Chorus Open Rehersal
If you’ve always wanted to join the golden-throated voices in this choir that’s open to all queer folks aged 19 and up, the time is decidedly now—so get your vocal warm ups in before this ‘show up and sing’ event.
Thu Aug 19, 7pm, St. Andrew’s United Church, 6036 Coburg Road, free
Queer Gardens: Pleasure in 4 bases
Artist Arjun Lal has long blended art and activism, telling The Coast back in 2019 “I’ve been learning more and more about being subversive.” Now, the multidisciplinary luminary is teaming up with three other up-and-coming artists to deliver this garden of earthly delights. Excel Garay, Kayza DeGraff-Ford, and Wren Tian-Morris join Lal in “presenting their artistic investigations of the erotic”, revamping a ball diamond on The Common into a four-stop exploration of queer relationships and queer history. Explore the space and the art and stick around for the free barbecue. “Bring a blanket, some sunscreen (SPF 666), and your best summer look,” event organizers add.
Fri Aug 20, Halifax Common, 6-9pm, free
The Grind
Make your living room the hottest dance floor in town as Pride’s annual closing night dance party returns for a live, online experience. Local DJs and performers bring the heat while you can truly dance like no one’s watching (especially if you keep your camera off).
Sat Aug 21, Zoom, 9pm-midnight, free, [email protected] to register
