Residents filled Kimberley's Platzl and Deer Park Avenue on 12 September for a bright, welcoming Pride Fest, bringing together local families, performers, traders and members of the 2SLGBTAIA+ community. With live music, a drag show and a guest appearance from writer Ivan Coyote, the event turned a Saturday gathering into a lively celebration of identity and belonging.
Kimberley Pride Fest brought colour to the city centre
Rainbow colours took over Kimberley as residents gathered for a day of celebration, connection and community pride. The event had the easy, upbeat feel of a town coming together, with performers on stage, music in the air and plenty for families to explore.
The festival centred the 2SLGBTAIA+ community and gender diversity, while creating an open invitation for the wider public. That mix matters: Pride events can be both joyful occasions and visible reminders that people deserve to feel safe and recognised where they live.
A thoughtful opening set the tone
The programme began with speeches from Mayor Don McCormick, Kimberley Pride Society president Khadija Flynn and Canadian writer Ivan Coyote. Their appearances gave the celebration a strong local foundation, while also bringing a broader perspective on identity, equality and social justice.
Coyote's work spans books, films, stage productions and music, with recurring themes including gender, family, class and relationships. Their official biography describes a career built around storytelling and performance, making them a natural fit for an event where personal experiences and public celebration met.
From drag performances to live music
There was no shortage of energy. A drag show delivered the biggest bursts of theatrical fun, while live music kept the atmosphere moving through the city centre. The Kootenay Cryptid's playful performance added a memorable dash of camp, proving once again that a good Pride celebration should leave room for both meaning and mischief.
Elsewhere, a vendor market gave visitors the chance to browse local stalls, and a bouncy castle helped make the programme family-friendly. It was a smart combination, balancing speeches and serious themes with the softer pleasures of a community day out.
Ivan Coyote's stories add a wider perspective
Coyote is the author of thirteen books, including Rebent Sinner, Tomboy Survival Guide and Gender Failure. Their official book listings show a body of work concerned with gender, belonging, family and the complicated ways people move through the world.
That storytelling background adds depth to a festival that could easily have been reduced to flags and entertainment. Pride is colourful, certainly, but it also gives people space to hear experiences unlike their own. A writer who has spent years exploring those questions can help turn a cheerful afternoon into something more reflective.
Why local Pride celebrations still matter
A town-based Pride festival offers something national campaigns and online conversations can't quite replicate: people standing together in the same place. The familiar streets, local faces and relaxed pace make inclusion feel practical rather than abstract.
Kimberley's event also showed how varied a Pride programme can be. A speech can prompt thought, a performance can create delight and a market can encourage conversation, all within a few steps of one another. For many visitors, that combination is the point: community should feel welcoming, visible and genuinely enjoyable.
Small celebrations can carry a surprisingly big message. Kimberley Pride Fest made that message colourful, musical and very human.
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