The biggest events of Alaska Pride Week in Anchorage: the annual Pride parade and Pride festival at Delaney Park — will be held on Saturday, June 9. Here’s all the info, plus a preview of Saturday evening and Sunday Pride Week events including Kristara, Sunday’s Pride Ecumenical service, and the Pride wind-up BBQ.

Celebrating Diversity Parade

Grand Marshal:Trevor Storrs

Trevor Storrs, a community leader has worked and helped to build a stronger Anchorage over the past 15 years.  His commitment to systemic change and inclusion has reduced barriers faced by many disenfranchised individuals. He served four years on the board of the Alaskan AIDS Assistance Association (Four A’s), and served for nearly 10 years as its executive director. He’s also served on the board of Identity, Inc., and was chair and spokesperson for the leadership team of the One Anchorage campaign for an Anchorage Equal Rights Initiative (Proposition 5). He’s a past member of the Municipality of Anchorage American with Disabilities Act Advisory Commission, is a founding member and co-chair of the Anchorage Coalition on Homelessness, and led the charge in implementing Anchorage’s nationally recognized Project Homeless Connect.

>>Read Trevor’s complete Alaska Pride biography

Parade route

Anchorage’s annual Pride parade has a new starting place this year! — W. 8th Avenue & K Street (see map). Here’s the complete parade route:

Parade information

Parades can bring risks that might not ordinarily be present. Read Alaska Pride’s Top 10 Parade Safety Tips for the Celebrating Diversity Parade.

Anyone wishing to participate in the parade must sign a parade release form (waiver). Alaska Pride representatives will be in the parade staging area at 9th & K by 9:00 AM on the day of the parade with forms for participants to sign. If you are watching from the sidelines and feel inspired to participate, please find a parade marshal to sign a waiver. Parade marshals will be wearing safety vests so you can spot them easily.

Floats and marching contingents include Alaska Pride Grand Marshal, Alaskan Aids Assistance Association (Four A’s), ACLU of Alaska, Anchorage Front Runners, Anchorage Mpowerment Program (AMP), Anchorage PFLAG, Anchorage Unitarian Universalist Fellowship (AUUF), Arctic Foxes Women’s Rugby Club, Christians for Equality, Credit Union 1, Dykes on Bikes, Identity, Imperial Court of All Alaska (ICOAA), Last Frontier Drag Kings, Northern Exposure, Jodie Dominguez for State House, Alaska Polyamory Group, Radical Militant Librarians, St. John’s United Methodist Church, Stand Together Against Rape (STAR), The Family Club at UAA, Unite Here Local 878, United Way, and Youth of Pride.

Don’t have anyone to walk with? Many of these contingents welcome you to walk with them! PFLAG and The Family at UAA always welcome additional walkers (but that’s by no means a comprehensive list).  Two invites in particular:

• Radical Militant Librarians welcomes librarians, former librarians and/or library workers or supporters.
• Unite HERE Local 878 invites you to march with them in a united Union contigent. Wear your union shirt!

Individuals are always encouraged to march with homemade signs in memory of those lost to AIDS or hate crimes or to express their own personal pride. Again, parade participants must sign a parade release form (waiver) (see above).

Judges for this year’s parade will be Diane Mead, Sara Gavit, and Mike Dingman.

Alaska Pride Fest

Anchorage’s annual Pride festival, with food, music, and lots of fun, will be held on Delaney Parkstrip, Rose Block (L Street thru P Street between 9th & 10th Ave.) (see map).

Emcees

Kevin Holtz has been a host and MC for many events locally and nationally. He has held the title of Mr. Alaska Male America 1992 and Mr. Alaska North America 1993. Mr. Gay Alaska 2007–2008 and Emperor of All Alaska 37. His voice can be heard singing with his local band, GMK and Company.

Darcy Kniefel was born and raised in Anchorage, Alaska. She has been everything from a dishwasher in a remote lodge to a Cruise Director on the seven seas, she currently runs a restaurant for a local brewery and is the Activities Director for The Better Beer Show.. Darcy was voted Best Fag Hag in the 2011 Trollop awards and was Baroness III of all Spenard.

Stage schedule

• 12:00: DJ D. Allen
• 12:15: Invocation / Anthems
• 12:25: Announcements
• 12:30: Rebekah Luhrs
• 12:40: Sen. Begich / Proclamations
• 12:50: Shelby Wilson
• 1:05: Danny Cockring
• 1:10: Mariquita
• 1:15: Kris and Paige
• 1:20: Underground Dance Company
• 1:30: PJ Franko and The Burnouts
• 2:05: Parade Winners
• 2:10: Phoenix DaHottie
• 2:15: Alexis
• 2:20: The Last Frontier Drag Kings
• 2:25: Spenard JazzFest
• 2:50: Saucy Jack
• 3:00: Maureen Suttman
• 3:20: APFVPC
• 3:55: Danny Templeton
• 4:10: OutSkirtz Banned
• 4:55: Closing

Vendors

 Please support these Pride Fest vendors, and thank them for supporting Pride Fest!

This list is as of May 20.  Alaska Pride organizers are getting an updated vendor list to us; we’ll update this post when we get it.

• Alaska Pride
• Alaskan AIDS Assistance Association
• Access Alaska
• American Civil Liberties Union
• Alaska Center for Spiritual Living
• Alaska Club
• Alaska Women Speak
• Anchorage Empowerment Program (AMP)
• Anchorage PFLAG (Parents, Families, and Friends of Lesbians and Gays)
• Anchorage Youth and Parent Foundation (AYPF)
• Battikah’s Ink Magazine
• Beautiful People Beads
• Castle Megastore
• Credit Union 1
• Ginger
• Great Land Infusion Pharmacy
• Humpy’s
• Identity
• Kiddie Carnival
• Libertarian Party
• Motive 8 Health
• National Park Service
• New Orleans Cajun Cooking
• Obama for America
• Planned Parenthood
• Polar Chocolates
• Radical Arts for Women (RAW) & Grrlzlist
• Soka Gakkai International
• St. John United Methodist Church
• Standing Together Against Rape (STAR)
• Teen Tent
• The Family Club at UAA
• Tobacco Rainbow Alliance
• Unite Here Local 878
• United Way
• Zorba’s Gyros
• YWCA

Saturday night and Sunday Pride Week events

Follow the links for detailed information about these events.

Saturday night, June 9

• 7:50 PM. Bully screening at the Bear Tooth. Examines the dire consequences of bullying through the stories of five students who face bullying on a daily basis.  Bear Tooth Theatre Pub, 1230 West 27th Avenue. Admission: $3.50.

• 9:00 PM. Kristara Live and In the Raw. Proceeds go to the GLCCA and Alaska Pride, includes auction. Mad Myrna’s, 530 East 5th Avenue.  Cost: $10. Age 21+.

Sunday, June 10

• 1:00 PM. Pride Ecumenical Service at St. Mary’s. Come celebrate at a GLBT-friendly church where all means all. St. Mary’s Episcopal Church, 2222 East Tudor Road. Free, all ages.

• 4:00 PM. Pride Windup BBQ at Mad Myrna’s. Myrna is providing the “fixins,” including salads. Bring your meat or veggie burger for the grill. Mad Myrna’s, 530 East 5th Avenue. Free, ages 21+.

• 7:50 PM. Bully screening at the Bear Tooth. Examines the dire consequences of bullying through the stories of five students who face bullying on a daily basis.  Bear Tooth Theatre Pub, 1230 West 27th Avenue. Admission: $3.50.

Watch the official Pride Fest commercial

Happy Pride!

Stay tuned for Bent Alaska’s annual Pride slide show of the Pride parade and Pride Fest!