Photo: Kelowna Pride Society

Kelowna's pride is not being taken away by the COVID-19 pandemic as Kelowna Pride Week 2020 is launching this Friday.

While many festivals and events have been cancelled due to the ongoing pandemic, the Kelowna Pride Society has been monitoring the situation since March. Ensuring Pride would remain part of Kelowna's 2020 calendar, organizers have found a way to get everyone together safely for an inclusive celebration.

Between Sept. 18 and 27, a wide range of Pride festivities will take place, both in-person and online. The community can look forward to three separate parades this year, something that hasn't been done ever before. 

Parades will consist of a bicycle parade on Sept. 22, a water parade on Sept. 23 and a vehicle parade on Sept. 24.

Kelowna's Next Drag Superstar will take place from Sept. 18 to Sept. 26. An outdoor Rainbow Market is also scheduled for Sept. 20 at the House of Rose Winery, along with a variety of affiliate events. 

A full list of events is available here.

For those wanting to participate in Pride from the comfort of their homes, a variety of events including the parades and festival will be live-streamed free of cost. 

“Obviously, it has been a difficult year to put it mildly, and while COVID-19 has presented unique challenges, we were determined to find a way to mark Kelowna Pride Week 2020 in a safe, inclusive and celebratory manner," says general manager of the Kelowna Pride Society Dustyn Baulkham.

"The board has been working really hard to find responsible ways to bring the community together and I’m proud that we’ve been able to come up with some special events that ensure we can celebrate Kelowna Pride Week 2020 while still being mindful of this moment in history. We hope Kelowna will join in the celebrations, as it has done so wonderfully in the past. Pride matters.”

Participants can shop car flags, snap fans and more here. 

The Kelowna Pride Society is also reminding participants that a number of the in-person events require pre-registration. All events are following provincial and Interior Health guidelines. 

Those wanting to volunteer during Kelowna Pride Week 2020 can fill out a form here.