Annual Pride Day celebration welcomes drag queens and rainbow boots to Nashville North

Get your rainbow boots ready, Pride Day supported by BMO, Mott’s and WCD is back at the Calgary Stampede! Nashville North is the place to be on Saturday, July 6 with Canada’s Drag Race winner and pop star Queen Priyanka headlining Pride Day. Pride Day is dedicated to creating a safe, inclusive, and welcoming space for the 2SLGBTQIA+ community and allies to celebrate and enjoy the Stampede together.

Pride Day at the Calgary Stampede began in 2012 when Charles Macmichael invited some friends from the 2SLGBTQIA+ community to join him at Nashville North. What started as a gathering of friends has, within a decade, grown from a group of 20 to nearly 3,000 attendees.

“The longevity of Pride Day, the growing embrace of what it stands for, and impact it has on representation for our community at the Stampede continues to inspire and motivate me as the founder and our growing group of volunteers from the Calgary Stampede Community Projects and Development Committee” says Macmichael, Founder, Pride Day at the Calgary Stampede.

Queen Priyanka, acclaimed for her electrifying performances, infectious energy and unwavering advocacy for the 2SLGBTQIA+ community, is set to headline this year’s celebration. Crowned as the first winner of Canada’s Drag Race in 2020, she has since become a lead on the Emmy award-winning HBO series We're Here and a host on Etalk.

With Priyanka’s debut EP earning more than 20 million streams, a highly anticipated album on the way, and making history as the first drag queen to be on the cover of Canada’s Elle Magazine, Priyanka has solidified her status as a trailblazer. Her commitment to inclusivity and representation continues to break barriers and inspire change.

Each year during Pride Day at the Stampede, the Western Trailblazer Award presented by BMO recognizes and celebrates an individual who volunteers their time, influence, and courage to make opportunities more accessible to the 2SLGBTQIA+ community. The award reflects the heart of Pride Day, which strives to encourage more members of the 2SLGBTQIA+ community to feel included and participate in the Stampede in a safe and equitable way. This year commemorates the sixth annual award with the recipient receiving a cherished Pride belt buckle.

Reflecting on the significance of Pride Day at the Stampede, Macmichael shared, “I am so proud that we can continue to work with the Stampede to express the importance of diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging work for the queer community at one of the most iconic cultural events in Calgary, Canada, and the world.”

Pride Day invites the 2SLGBTQIA+ community and allies to Nashville North on Saturday, July 6 from 2 p.m. to 6 p.m. for an afternoon filled with celebration, entertainment, and Stampede fun, free with admission to Stampede Park. Learn more here.

Pride Day is organized by a proud and dedicated volunteer committee of the Calgary Stampede.

About the Calgary Stampede 
The Calgary Stampede celebrates the people, the animals, the land, the traditions and the values that make up the unique spirit of the west. The Calgary Stampede contributes to the quality of life in Calgary and southern Alberta through our world-renowned Stampede, year-round facilities, western events and several youth and agriculture programs. Exemplifying the theme We're Greatest Together, we are a volunteer-supported, not-for-profit community organization that preserves and celebrates our western heritage, cultures and community spirit. All revenue is reinvested into Calgary Stampede programs and facilities.

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