Saskatoon Pride Parade set to go on Saturday

Members of the Saskatoon LGBTQ community are to hit the streets for their annual Pride Parade on Saturday afternoon.

The parade starts at noon on Spadina Crescent near the University Bridge. It will go on 24th Street and turn down Fourth Avenue, then take a turn down 22nd Street towards First Avenue. Then, it will turn onto 20th Street and finish off down Third Avenue.

The 2019 Saskatoon Pride parade route. (Saskatoon Pride)

Parking and road restrictions will be set up along the entire route starting at 10 a.m.

Pride Festival chair Amy Rees said 2019 is a year with special significance to the parade. She mentioned 2019 is the 50th anniversary of the Stonewall Riots, an uprising against a police raid in New York that sparked many gay rights movements.

“Also, it’s 50 years since the decriminalization of homosexuality in Canada, so this year’s really big in history,” Rees said.

She said these events influenced the focus of this year’s Pride celebrations.

“Celebrating, and moving forward. We still have a lot of work to do, but we’re going to keep fighting the fight,” she said.

Rees noted it’s an event that’s made special through a sense of community.

“Every year, it comes down to all of the people that come out. The community, the allies … seeing everybody come together and celebrating,” she said. “Everybody just having a really good time … it’s so beautiful to see.”

More than 5,000 people from 130 different groups are to march in Saturday’s parade.

The parade is one of many events for the Saskatoon Pride Festival. The Pride Market at Victoria Bridge runs Friday and Saturday.