The Pride Gimli Festival Committee is in the midst of putting the finishing touches on its upcoming Pride weekend and is offering a number of sponsorship opportunities.
The weekend will feature a variety of events including the lighting of the Viking statue in rainbow colours, a flag-raising ceremony, a Pride walk, workshops, live music, a movie screening in conjunction with the Gimli International Film Festival, family activities and food.
Festival committee member Elena Olafson said sponsorships from businesses, organizations or individuals would be most appreciated as the events require financial assistance.
There are six sponsorship levels — $10-$49, $50-$149, $150-$249, $250-$499, $500-$1,499 and $1,500+. Each level comes with specific recognition, which can include naming rights for events or getting a business name on the Pride Gimli website and on social media, plus some cool swag.
Olafson said they’re also inviting vendors of all kinds to participate in their Duracan Pride market.
Pride events promote equality and stand against discrimination of people who identify as LGBTQ+.
For the Pride Gimli committee, the festive weekend is a “declaration” that Gimli is a warm, welcoming and open-minded community that likes to bring people together.
The event attracts visitors from beyond Gimli and provides an economic boost to local businesses.
The tentative schedule for the weekend is as follows:
Friday, June 12:
6 p.m. Opening ceremonies at the waterfront stage.
7-7:30 p.m. Walk down the beach boardwalk for flag raising.
8 p.m. Movie at the Lady of the Lake theatre in the Waterfront Centre.
10:30 p.m. Lighting of the Viking Statue.
Saturday, June 13:
At the Gimli Park pavilion
11 am – 10:30 p.m. Duracan Pride Market.
2 p.m. Pride Coffee House.
7 p.m. The Carabiners (band).
Sunday, June 14:
11 a.m. Pride March (from waterfront stage to the pavilion in Gimli Park).
12 p.m. Cupcakes and community gathering.
The Pride Gimli celebration will run from June 12 to 14. Visit Gimli Pride on Facebook and Instagram for updated events and times.
Anyone interested in becoming a sponsor for this year’s Pride event can call the committee’s treasurer, Jodi, at 204-891-3575.
