The 41st Annual Utah Pride Festival took place over the weekend of June 3-5, 2016. The Festival opened with prayer at the Utah Pride Interfaith Coalition Interfaith Service on Thursday, June 2 at First Baptist Church. Pride this year included the usual music, vendors, food, rallies, and parade.
SLPS has been participating with a booth at Pride since 2011. The first tarot readings were in 2012, which were free. In 2014, SLPS started charging $5 and uped it to $10 in 2015. This year’s booth was highly successful, bringing in a good income from the society as the annual fundraiser that sets the budget. Over 100 readings were done, many of which were palm readings.
Many companies and organizations participated, including Discover, Netflix, Vegan Leather Boundary, Utah Gay Rodeo Association, the City Library, and the Animal Shelter. Some great and diverse food vendors came including funnel cakes, pizza, Greek, Jamaican, Skewered Thai, Poutine Fries, and Sweet Roasted Corn.
Sunday was the busy day. SLPS marched in the parade with the interfaith in front of the rainbow flag. President Muad’Dib was asked to bless the flag this year, uttering the following prayer “Father Sky, Firm Earth, let this rainbow shine and open people’s pockets deep and fill her up! So mote it be!” Money thrown into the flag goes to the Utah Pride Center.
Tens of thousands people lined up on 200 S. to watch the parade. The route was reversed this year, with the floats, all 153 entries lining up along 200 W and the Salt Palace and ending at 400 E. A dozen or so protesters were seen, but they were in the minority.
The trees around the city and county building were certainly happy about the festival. President Muad’Dib was walking by an old sycamore when he felt how happy the tree was for the people. “The tree was smiling and looking around, just so happy to be giving its shade to people in the hot sun. It seemed they are lonely there, as its a government building, and they just want to connect with the people around them and provide for them. I think it’s nice then that the area is used for festivals so that the trees feel like they are being useful, giving of their resources like shade and comfort.”
Sunday was the very busy, with the festival squeezed to the brim! The Pride Center reported over 50,000 people attended the festival and 50,000 attended the parade over the weekend!
Utah Pride Festival 2016, History Zone, Salt Lake City Public Library, Wednesday, June 1, 2016, Salt Lake City, UT
Utah Pride Festival 2016, History Zone-Utah Pride, Salt Lake City Public Library, Wednesday, June 1, 2016, Salt Lake City, UT
Utah Pride Festival 2016, History Zone, Utah Pride History poster created by Muad’Dib, Salt Lake City Public Library, Wednesday, June 1, 2016, Salt Lake City, UT
Utah Pride Festival 2016, l to r- Woman Between the Wolves, Stesha Bowden, Shy Fox, Saturday, June 4, 2016, Salt Lake City, UT
Utah Pride Festival 2016, l to r- Woman Between the Wolves, Stesha Bowden, and Shy Fox, Saturday, June 4, 2016, Salt Lake City, UT
Utah Pride Festival 2016, clients, Saturday, June 4, 2016, Salt Lake City, UT
Utah Pride Festival 2016, night at Tryangles, Saturday, June 4, 2016, Salt Lake City, UT
Utah Pride Festival 2016-Parade along 200 S. and 200 W. looking east, Sunday, June 5, 2016, Salt Lake City, UT
Utah Pride Festival 2016-Parade, Sunday, June 5, 2016, Salt Lake City, UT
Utah Pride Festival 2016-Parade, Muad’Dib and Shy Fox lined up, Sunday, June 5, 2016, Salt Lake City, UT
Utah Pride Festival 2016-Parade, Chuvaruh B’Yachad Reconstructionist Jews of Salt Lake, Sunday, June 5, 2016, Salt Lake City, UT
Utah Pride Festival 2016-Parade, Mount Tabor Lutheran Church, Sunday, June 5, 2016, Salt Lake City, UT
Utah Pride Festival 2016-Parade, flag, Sunday, June 5, 2016, Salt Lake City, UT
Utah Pride Festival 2016-Parade, Rainbow Wizard Muad’Dib, Sunday, June 5, 2016, Salt Lake City, UT
Utah Pride Festival 2016-Parade, attendees along 200 S., Sunday, June 5, 2016, Salt Lake City, UT
Utah Pride Festival 2016-Parade, protesters along 200 S., Sunday, June 5, 2016, Salt Lake City, UT
Utah Pride Festival 2016-Parade, in the parade along 200 S., Sunday, June 5, 2016, Salt Lake City, UT
Utah Pride Festival 2016, booths looking west, Sunday, June 5, 2016, Salt Lake City, UT
Utah Pride Festival 2016, booths looking north, Sunday, June 5, 2016, Salt Lake City, UT
Utah Pride Festival 2016, booths looking east, Sunday, June 5, 2016, Salt Lake City, UT
Utah Pride Festival 2016, food vendors, Sunday, June 5, 2016, Salt Lake City, UT
Utah Pride Festival 2016, The Big Burger food vendor, Sunday, June 5, 2016, Salt Lake City, UT
Utah Pride Festival 2016, Skewered Thai food vendor, Sunday, June 5, 2016, Salt Lake City, UT
Utah Pride Festival 2016, Sweet Roasted Corn food vendor, Sunday, June 5, 2016, Salt Lake City, UT
Utah Pride Festival 2016, Funnel Cake food vendor, Sunday, June 5, 2016, Salt Lake City, UT