Some Pride highlights in Ottawa this August

August is Pride month in Canada’s capital city to celebrate everything that it means to be 2SLGBTQ+.

Capital Pride, especially the parade and the associated street festival on  Aug. 25, usually draws a crowd, but groups large and small are planning their parties, performances and community events.

This list is not a comprehensive collection, rather a sample — organizers near you may have something else in the works. These highlights are organized by date.

Over the Rainbow

A rainbow Pride flag flies in front of a legislature.
A Pride flag flies on Parliament Hill in Ottawa during a Pride event last June. (Sean Kilpatrick/The Canadian Press)
  • Date: Friday, Aug. 2.
  • Hosted by: Ottawa Senior Pride Network.

The Ottawa Senior Pride Network is a group that aims to connect and support 2SLGBTQ+ seniors in Ottawa. It hosts events like Over the Rainbow, which is an evening meet-and-greet.

Over the Rainbow will be hosted at The Good Companions, a seniors centre in Centretown West. The website promises a cash bar and good conversation from 7 p.m. to 10 p.m.

Ottawa LGBTQ+ Christian Network Pride Meet & Greet

  • Date: Saturday, Aug. 17.
  • Hosted by: Ottawa LGBTQ+ Christian Network.

The Ottawa LGBTQ+ Christian Network is a new local group holding one of its first in-person gatherings: a meet-and-greet for pride month at the Ottawa Public Library Rideau branch.

They say the group is for Christians of any denominational background who may have had negative experiences such as loss of community or discrimination because of their identity.

They note that you don’t have to be a practicing Christian to be part of the network, and that some of their members have complicated relationships with faith, some are rediscovering faith and some no longer identify as Christian at all.

Beach Bums Tournament

  • Date: Aug. 17.
  • Hosted by: Pride Capital Volleyball.

Pride Capital Volleyball is a community group of volleyball enthusiasts from all skill levels. It regularly hosts youth and adult drop-in games, plus several leagues for competitive players.

Its special tournament in August is called Beach Bums for “intermediate/advanced” players in teams of four.

If you want to play there’s a registration fee and you’ll need to confirm your roster by early August, but you’re also welcome to turn out to support the players.

Pride Glide

A blurry image of roller skaters in an indoor rink. One woman is on her knees and throwing the peace sign at the camera.
A skater at a past Ottawa Quad Rollerskating Club event at Lansdowne Park, where the Pride Glide will be held in the Horticulture Building. (Submitted by the Ottawa Quad Rollerskating Club)
  • Date: Aug. 17.
  • Hosted by: Ottawa Quad Rollerskating Club.

Pride Glide is a roller-skating party at Lansdowne Park’s Horticulture Building. If you ever wondered what it would be like to let loose in all that space, this is your chance.

There will be an all-ages session from 5 p.m. until 7:30 p.m. and an adults-only session from 8:30 until 11:00 p.m.

Pride Community Quilt

A photo of two hands holding up a sample quilt piece on a wooden table.
A sample of the community pride quilt the team at Fabrications will put together on Aug. 17. (Submitted by Fabrications)
  • Date: Aug. 17.
  • Hosted by: Fabrications.

The Pride Community Quilt is an event being held by Fabrications, a fabric and crafting store on Ottawa’s Carling Avenue near Churchill Avenue.

They are inviting anyone — regardless of their familiarity with quilting or sewing — to come pitch in to make a very special quilt. Participation is free and Fabrications says it is providing all the materials, instructions, and experts.

When it’s finished, Fabrications will raffle off the quilt (after putting it on display in the store for a few weeks) and donate proceeds from the raffle tickets to “a selection of 2SLGBTQIA+ charities.”

Dansons! Let’s Dance!

Three rows of men standing in a church building, looking at the camera for a group picture.
The Choeur gai d’Ottawa Gay Men’s Chorus during a rehearsal earlier this year. (Submitted by the Choeur gai d’Ottawa Gay Men’s Chorus)
  • Date: Wednesday, Aug. 21.
  • Hosted by: The Ottawa Gay Men’s Chorus and The Gladstone.

The Ottawa Gay Men’s Chorus is a non-auditioned community chorus founded in 1986, which it says was the same year Ottawa celebrated its first Pride.

This night, The Gladstone community theatre in Little Italy will host the The Ottawa Gay Men’s Chorus for a special one-time musical performance.

Queers & Beers 

A musician holds a guitar onstage and sings into a microphone. A crowd of people in front of them raises their arms.
Musician OK Naledi performs onstage during Queers & Beers 2023. (Ming Wu/Queering613)
  • Date: Thursday, Aug. 22.
  • Hosted by: Queering613 and Overflow Brewery.

Queers & Beers is exactly what it sounds like: a party at a craft brewery with live music.

Organizers say part of the cover charge will be donated to Northern Lights Refuge, a group that sponsors 2SLGBTQ+ refugees.

Frequently Asked Queers

  • Date: Friday, Aug. 23.
  • Hosted by: Laugh Lounge Comedy Club

Frequently Asked Queers is a comedy showcase at the Laugh Lounge Comedy Club in the ByWard Market which promises on its site to be “a night of drag, comedy & hilarity.” 

The lineup includes local drag queen Eden Moore and Rose-Ingrid Benjamin, a local comedian and former pastor. Doors open at 7:30 p.m.

Bliss

A lot of people stand in front of and on a red bus, cheering and looking at the camera. Their signs read "Lez Go" and they are all wearing pink and purple, with purple and white balloons.
The Lez Go group and its bus for the Capital Pride Parade in 2023. (Angela Hubbard/Lez Go)
  • Date: Saturday, Aug. 24.
  • Hosted by: Lez Go and Queen St. Fare

If you’re into Ottawa’s lesbian scene, you might be familiar with Lez Go: a group of “lesbian+” people that hosts community events for its members.

This Pride month, you can attend its Bliss party at Queen St. Fare in downtown Ottawa. The festivities start around 7:30 p.m., and its website says you can expect a raffle, ball toss, designated singles tables and performers like Makhena Rankin-Guérin, a local Indigenous hoop dancer

Pride Cup

  • Date: Aug. 24.
  • Hosted by: Hammond Golf and Country Club

A few kilometres east of Ottawa, the Hammond Golf and Country Club is hosting a special Pride Cup this August.

On top of a full day of golfing on the 18-hole course with a cart, your ticket also gets you into the barbecue buffet and drag show. The website says funds raised will be donated to Rainbow Railroad, a non-profit that helps 2SLGBTQ+ people escape countries where their existence is criminalized.

Pride Square Dance

A group of people dancing in a gym with rainbow lights.
Guests dance during the Ottawa Date Squares’ Pride Dance last year. (Submitted by Ottawa Date Squares)
  • Date: Aug. 24.
  • Hosted by: Ottawa Date Squares

The Ottawa Date Squares is a local square dancing group that hosts events throughout the year. If you’re in the mood to shake your feet this Pride Month, consider attending their Pride Dance.

This free event welcomes participants with any level of experience and doesn’t require you to bring a partner. They teach you everything you need to know and let the music take it from there.

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