Celebrating Pride Month with community events and parade
By David Yin
The City of Markham is marking Pride Month with a series of events and initiatives to support the 2SLGBTQIA+ community.
On June 4, the City of Markham will host its annual Flag Raising Ceremony at the Markham Civic Centre from 9:30 a.m. to 11 a.m. The free event will feature PFLAG, CAYR, and York Pride as community partner organizations.
Additionally, the Markham Public Library will host two online 2SLGBTQIA+-related sessions alongside Rainbow Allyship: Pronouns & Misgendering, and Unconditional Love. The Pronouns & Misgendering session will occur on June 10, and the Unconditional Love session will occur on June 17. Registration is required for both sessions.
The City of Markham will also support the York Pride Parade on June 21, along with the eight other municipalities of York Region: Newmarket, Richmond Hill, Vaughan, Whitchurch-Stouffville, Aurora, East Gwillimbury, King, and Georgina. The parade kicks off at 6 p.m. in Newmarket, starting at Main St. S and Queen St.
York Pride celebrates its 25th anniversary this year. Representing one of Ontario’s largest pride festivals, it will host the York Pride Festival on June 21 and 22, as well as the York Pride Parade on June 21.
The York Pride Festival will feature three zones across nearly 40,000 square metres at 200 Duncan Dr. in Newmarket. Zone 1 will feature locations such as the main stage, a gaming zone, food vendors, a beer garden, and a VIP zone. Zone 2 will include a family-friendly kids’ zone, as well as Riley’s Room–a low-sensory zone for attendees. Zone 3 will serve as green space.
According to York Pride, it has attracted a growing number of visitors since 2020. The organization said it tracked 35,000 visitors to its festivities in 2024, around a 20 per cent increase from 2023.
For more information, visit yorkpride.ca.