The 8th annual Ogden Pride Festival next weekend, Aug. 5-8, will be the biggest one yet with a myriad of events occurring Friday, Saturday and Sunday, and a celebrity emcee.

Ogden Pride Festival 2022 Lineup

FRIDAY

The festival begins on Friday with Community Dinner & Drag Bingo at No Frills Diner on 25th Street at 6 p.m. The cost is just $15 and will get you a spaghetti dinner and your first Bingo card at this all-ages event.

SATURDAY

Saturday’s event, A FUNNYraising Evening with Suzanne Westenhoefer, benefits the Ogden Pride Center. The 21-plus event will be held at Ogden’s Own Distillery Amphitheater. Comedy with Westenhoefer, hors d’oeuvres, a cash bar and silent auction guarantee an amazing night. Tickets are just $50 in advance at the Ogden Pride website or $65 at the door.

SUNDAY

On Sunday, events kick off at 11 a.m. with a rally at the Ogden Amphitheater and Municipal Gardens, where Westenhoefer will be the master of ceremonies. The free festival continues till 8 p.m. with specialty vendors, community resources, artists and food. Live entertainment includes Alter Egos, Bomba Marile, Tribal Love, No Clear Ending, Kory Edgewood, Shecock with a Vengeance, Ginger & the Gents, Katelynn Handy, Kat Furr and Zaza Historia Vandyke. Also enjoy Cheer Salt Lake, Imperial Rainbow Court, Karaoke w/Kevan, Hot! Take Burlesque and Haus Dance.

THIS YEAR’S THEME: ‘SEE US’

Sean Childers-Gray (he/him), president of the board and the venue and marketing director, says he’s especially excited for this event: “We’ve had wonderful emcees in the past, but this year having an out-of-state guest with such accolades is a wonderful thing for us.” Part of only a handful of celebrities in the ’90s who were out, and out proudly, Westenhoefer is a role model to many who grew up in that era. “That meant a great deal to me, SEEING people like me making it and doing what they love,” says Childers-Gray.

This year’s theme is “See Us.” According to the website, each year a community planning meeting is hosted to vote on a theme that reflects a call to action. The theme this year calls for ALL of the LGBQT+ community to be seen, with the logo incorporating the representative flags of each group.

“Personally, I feel like there seems to be more reason to come together and celebrate the things that make us all unique, but at the same time a part of something larger than ourselves,” says Childers-Gray. “Politically, it’s been a rough few years for our community, especially our transgender and youth community members. We want the community to know that we are here, and want to engage in creating the safe spaces we all need and deserve.”

The main goal is to provide space for the community to gather, both at the festival and after at the Ogden Pride Center. “We NEED a place to gather,” he says. “It’s our largest fundraising campaign to help us reach our goal of opening the Ogden Pride Center. So, stop by our booth and grab some merch, make a donation, or pledge to share our work so that we can continue to sustain our programs and get us into a home!”

Find more details about Ogden Pride festival and purchase event tickets at ogdenpride.org.

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