Groundbreakers and pioneers: A week of events and parties follow Windsor-Essex Pride Fest flag raising
By Trevor Wilhelm, Windsor Star
It’s about advocacy, inclusivity — and parties.
Local politicians, union leaders, tourism officials, and others headed down to City Hall Square on Friday for the annual flag raising ceremony to kick off a week of events for Windsor-Essex Pride Fest.
“No matter what, rain or shine, it’s a beautiful thing when Windsor-Essex comes together and celebrates our individuality and what makes us different,” said local radio host and 2024 Pride ambassador Dan MacDonald. “The best thing about Pride Fest is it celebrates our diversity. All the things we might be insecure about, it celebrates them. That’s why it’s such a powerful festival for me as ambassador.”
Windsor-Essex Pride Fest runs until Sunday. This is the 32nd year for Pride events in Windsor, which began with a small march of about 100 people.
“The very first one that started it all in 1992 had a profound impact on me, because I wasn’t out of the closet yet,” said MacDonald. “But I was watching from afar and that visibility was so important to me, just seeing that was there and that community existed for when I was ready. That’s why it’s such an honour for me. I hope to bring that same visibility to somebody else who might be in the same position that I was in back then.”
The Windsor-Essex Pride Fest now boasts multiple events and thousands of participants.
“The really cool thing about Windsor Pride Fest is a lot of new faces but a lot of the same faces, too, who were there for that very first march and that very first Pride,” said MacDonald. “It looked very different, but a lot of the same mentors, groundbreakers, pioneers who really trailblazed for a lot of us and changed Windsor.”
There will be events throughout the week at various locations across Windsor-Essex, including the annual Run for Rocky at Dieppe Gardens. There will also be dance and DJ parties, a comedy night, Bowl with Pride, short films, Art Jam, and a guided bus tour of 2SLGBTQAI+ history in Windsor-Essex Wednesday at 7 p.m. starting at the Market Square parking lot at 2109 Ottawa St.
Things wrap up on Sunday with the Windsor-Essex Pride Fest Parade on Ottawa Street, followed by Pride Day at Lanspeary Park featuring live performances and dozens of vendors.
“For anybody who is facing adversity or uncertainty with who they are, or isn’t in a safe place to be who they are, it should be the easiest thing in the world — but it’s not for many,” said MacDonald. “That’s why Pride Fest is so important, so the community is here as a beacon for those people who need that visibility the most.”
For more information about the festival and a full schedule of events, go to wepridefest.com.
