DULUTH — It’s the 37th year of the Duluth-Superior Pride Festival with new and returning events this Labor Day weekend.
Official events go from Thursday, Aug. 31, into Sunday, Sept. 3, over the entire Duluth/Superior area including at local bars, restaurants, art spaces, Bayfront Festival Park and in the city streets.
The Pride Festival at Bayfront Park kicks off Saturday, including live music, drag performances, speakers, performance art, dance, jazz and more on two separate stages. Headlining the main stage this year is Duluth native Venus de Mars & All the Pretty Horses.
More Pride events
Starting the celebration Thursday is an event at the downtown Duluth Public Library with a “Folks of Duluth” art exhibition. This is followed by an event with Duluth Mayor Emily Larson and Superior Mayor Jim Paine at the Downtown Duluth Depot for the mayors’ reception. Grand marshals and other award winners will be showcased.
Also Thursday, a new event catered to the Aro-Ace community (aromantic and asexual) will take place with the first annual AroAce Tea Party at the Chester Creek Cafe/At Sarah’s Table, starting at 6 p.m.
Events for youths will be all week at the Duluth Public Library, culminating with a Drag Story Time on Friday at the downtown branch. Also Friday, Lifehouse will host a Youth Pride Dance for 14- to 20-year-olds starting at 5 p.m.
A second artist’s reception for “Folks of Duluth” will take place Friday at the Zeitgeist Arts Center, and Party X at the Duluth Flame Nightclub starts 9 p.m.
The celebration continues Saturday evening with a drag show at the Duluth Flame Nightclub and the annual block party on Tower Avenue in Superior at both the Main Club and The Superior Flame.
Sunday brings the interfaith worship service at Pilgrim Congregational UCC Church followed by the annual Pride parade along Tower Avenue in Superior, which starts at noon.
After the parade, all ages are welcome at the family gathering potluck in Billings Park. Adults over 21 may celebrate on the Foo Foo Choo Choo at the North Shore Scenic Railroad with an official Train After Party at the Duluth Flame Nightclub. Celebrations continue into the night at the annual drag show Fundraiser at the Main Club, with the cast of The Body Electric.
The full schedule can be found at duluthsuperiorpride.com or on the Duluth Superior Pride Facebook page.
