Utah Pride Festival
Salt Lake City 2023

Utah Pride Festival Salt Lake City 2023

Utah Pride Festival is held in downtown Salt Lake City each year in early June and hosts one of the largest parades in the state.

• Visiting Salt Lake for Pride? Stay in the Marmalade neighbourhood, home to the city’s top gay bars and close to the state capitol building. 
• Stay at the Kimpton Hotel Monaco SLC, in a great location with modern amenities and a gay-friendly welcome.

Pride in Salt Lake City

• June 1st to 4th 2023 – Salt Lake City Pride, known as the Utah Pride Festival or Pride week is produced by the Utah Pride Centre and includes a colorful parade, a film festival, the Dyke March, members of the Bear Clan, Leathermen, and the Sisters of bondage groups.
• Events are held all through the week with a festival taking place on the final weekend. The main parade is held on the Sunday. The city block around Library Square bustles with activity as festival tents and audio systems are set up.

Pride Opening

• Thursday June 1st, 2023 – Pride week’s formal (but un-fussy) kickoff gala is so well loved that every year it needs to find a bigger venue to accommodate the sellout crowds!
• The event raises life-saving funds for the Utah Pride Center while honoring recipients of the Kristen Ries Community Service Award and The Utah Pride Lifetime Achievement Award.
• There are raffles, prizes, food, drink, and a guaranteed amazing time gathering together for a fantastic cause.

The Pride Festival

• Saturday June 3rd – Sunday June 4th 2023 – This is perhaps the biggest headliner event of the entire week — a two-day extravaganza that takes over Washington Square downtown and turns every inch of the place into a dedicated space for celebration.
• You’ll find something for everyone — dance, music performances, karaoke, food trucks, drinks, and even a Queer Poets Slam. Spend the day Saturday and Sunday wandering, eating, drinking, laughing, and commiserating with like minded folks who believe everyone should be celebrated.

Pride March and Rally

• Sunday June 4th, 2023 – On Sunday afternoon of Pride Week, you can march in solidarity from the Utah State Capitol building all the way to the Pride Festival grounds at Washington Square. The mood is lighthearted but the purpose is powerful, and marchers of all ages, ethnicity, orientations, backgrounds, and credos come together for it. Downtown Salt Lake turns into one big rainbow-hued party. The parade stretches for several city blocks through the heart of the city.

Other Gay Salt Lake Events

• Pride T Dance, SLC is held on the last day of the official pride celebrations and is the hottest way to say goodbye to pride.

Gay Salt Lake City

LGBTQ residents living in nearby states like Idaho, Wyoming, and Montana flock to Salt Lake City to find acceptance. The anchor of the LGBTQ+ community is the “Gayborhood” known as the Marmalade, located northwest of the Capitol Hill area. You’ll find lots of rainbow flags flying here. You should also pay a visit to the Avenues near Temple Square. Overall, the community is integrated into the fabric of the city and businesses are more than gay-friendly.

• Salt Lake City has two busy gay clubs: The Sun Trapp a lively gay bar & dance club serving beer in Mason jars in a modest space with a pool table & patio; and Club Try-Angles, a late-night gay bar offering cocktails & regular events, including karaoke, in a festive atmosphere.
• Metro hosts the city’s best drag shows (it’s the number one place to find the girls of RuPaul’s Drag Race when they’re in town). Even when drag is off the menu, the space caters to SLC’s alternative crowd and special gay nights.
• Coffee Garden, located on Harvey Milk Boulevard, is a long-running LGBTQ favorite with a rainbow flag hanging prominently in the window. For adult beverages try Bar-X, a Prohibition-era lounge co-owned by Modern Family star Ty Burrell. Check out Beer Bar next door while you’re there.

Hotels in SLC

Here are the Hotels we recommend that keep you close to all the action,

Grand America Hotel,  Radisson Hotel,   Marriott Waterfront,  Hotel Indigo