Once again, Halifax Pride kicks off the Pride Festival with the annual flag raising. With words spoken by our board members and supporters, join us at Grand Parade July 16 to celebrate community, authenticity, visibility, and of course, Pride. 

MelaNATION is Halifax Pride’s QTBIPOC showcase, celebrating the talent, creativity, and power of Black and racialized queer and trans artists. This high-energy evening features dynamic performances across music, drag, and dance, creating space for stories and artistry that deserve the spotlight.

Want to show your glow to new friends? Look no further than the Newcomer Picnic! This event, co-hosted by the Rainbow Refugees Association of Nova Scotia and Queer Arabs Halifax, encourages all to come together and make new connections! Whether lawn games and bingo are your speed, or you’d rather relax on the picnic blanket and snack, there will be something for you! Grab your picnic chair and come down to the Garrison Grounds! 

To close out the Parade, join us on the festival site for Drag on the Mainstage! This free to attend, all ages event is a showcase of the fiercest drag excellence Halifax has to offer! There are limited shaded areas on site, so folks are encouraged to bring umbrellas for shade! 

Join us Sunday, July 19 for a day of family fun on the Garrison Grounds! There will be entertainment galore, including:

• Face painting by KC’s face painting

• Theatre performances by the Mermaid Theatre and the Neptune Theatre School

• Drag Storytime

• Bouncy castles

• Craft tents from Youthproject and Wonderneath

• A sing along with the Eastern Front Theatre Geese 

There is fun to be had for everyone so you don’t want to miss it!

Get ready for a night where bingo gets a glow-up.

Drag Bingo is back as part of the Halifax Pride Festival, serving up big laughs, bold performances, and just enough competition to keep things interesting. Hosted by some of the region’s fiercest drag talent, this is not your quiet community hall bingo. Expect high-energy hosting, ridiculous prizes, and plenty of audience participation.

Play along for your chance to win, or just come for the show. Either way, you’re in for an evening of camp and comedy. 

This event will feature the drag excellence of: 

• Farrah Moanz

• Heckella Jeckyll 

• Miranda Wrights 

• Eden Disorder 

• Queera Bang

In anticipation of the annual Pride March July 20, join us on the Garrison Grounds at 12pm to create signs that showcase Queer resistance and resilience, so you can show support for the causes you want to champion. Limited poster supplies will be available, but attendees are encouraged to bring their own as well.

Join Halifax Pride and the Elderberries for this elder hangout. This closed-space hangout is a chance for Nova Scotia’s 50+ 2SLGBTQIA+ community to connect with one another, sharing memories, experiences, and friendship. 

Join Halifax Pride for the annual Pride March, where words of action and protest will be spoken by community members as we march to Peace & Friendship Park for a candlelight vigil. 

Following the Pride March, join us for a candlelight vigil at Peace & Friendship Park as we commemorate and mourn community, friends, and found family who we have lost. Good Dear Good will play music in tribute to lost community members. 

In the first part of our Fit Together Series, Seth Daley leads a low impact Yoga session for all ages! Seth is here to help you find flow in your body and your mind. Limited mats will be available on site, so feel free to bring your own! All skill levels are welcome.

Presented by Two Spirits of Unama’ki, L’nu Two Spirit creatives from the ancestral district of Unama’ki will share about their ways of joyful expression, including various artistic mediums (painting, digital art, acting, drag performance, storytelling, beadwork). 

Join fellow Trans and Non-binary community members for two hours of socializing and celebration. This closed space hangout will feature an open mic, giving Trans and Non-binary folks the stage to have their voices heard in a safe and affirming space. Join us in celebrating Trans joy!

Game on! Join this dodgeball learn-to-play session led by Halifax Rainbow Dodgeball, the HRM’s only 2SLGBTQIA+ dodgeball league for adults. The goal is for everyone to have some low stakes fun on the dodgeball court, so whether you’re a pro or a total rookie, this is your chance to learn dodgeball in a supportive and inclusive environment. 

Come make a splash with Halifax Pride’s Family Swim at Dal! This all ages family swim is meant to provide some aquatic fun for you and all your Queer friends and family. Pre register now: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSczouleRtrvF73Y8oPHKEG8mWGjTmP-kYpjejTv6OkPcZS3yg/viewform

*Children 12 years and under MUST be supervised by an adult (18+ years) at all times in all areas of the facility. Children aged 7 years and under MUST remain within arm’s reach of a parent or guardian (18+ years) at a ratio of 1 adult to 2 children. Children 7 years and under are not permitted in the deep end without a properly fitted PFD. Children 7 years and under who wish to swim in the water without an adult who is within arm’s reach or swim in the deep end without a PFD must achieve “special swimmer status.”  Please see a Lifeguard for more details.

We are excited to present a screening of the National Film Board documentary Parade: Queer Acts of Love & Resistance.

Parade: Queer Acts of Love & Resistance captures pivotal moments that sparked Canada’s 2SLGBTQIA+ movement, honouring the activists and elders whose resistance led to the rights we have today.

Through rarely seen archival footage and first-person accounts, audiences are brought to the frontlines of the struggle. From police raids to early drag shows, community organizing to the House of Commons - the complex history of our country’s diverse communities is brought to life. Key milestones illustrate the power of taking it into the streets and underscore how easily the rights we’ve fought for can be revoked.

This free screening is being presented by the Nova Scotia Office of Equity and Anti‑Racism and Halifax Pride, in collaboration with the Canadian Museum of Immigration (Pier21)

Secure your free ticket now: https://forms.gle/KxjVrwz34SKiqUfQ9

Halifax Pride and the Youth Project are once again bringing you an unforgettable night of fun and friendship! The Youth Prom is a chance for Two Spirit, Queer and Trans youth to celebrate themselves and the community in a supportive , inclusive and FABulous space. So whether you want to spend the night dancing along to the DJ’s beats, or taking selfies in the photo booth, come down to celebrate! 

This event is for youth ages 13-18.

This installment of the Lunch & Learn panel series is brought to you by McInnes Cooper, and will guide attendees through an insightful discussion around estate planning, with plenty of chances to ask questions at the end. 

In the next installment of our Fit Together series, join us for this boot camp that is sure to have you working up a sweat. All experience levels are welcome and encouraged to join us to get active and level up.

*Limited mats available, attendees are encouraged to bring their own

This closed space, fun-filled hangout is for our QTBIPOC community members to hangout and make memories with old friends and new! You can also sign up for a 2SQTBIPOC skills building focus group aimed at tackling systemic barriers to equality, accessibility, and professional growth within the 2SLGBTQIA+ non-profit sector in Nova Scotia. 

Ready to roll? This spin class led by Ryan will be a fun filled workout that will be a blast for first time riders or seasoned pros. Come down to the dalplex and clip in, because you’re in for a ride! Please note there are 35 bikes available, so advance registration is required.

 https://forms.gle/qsMDcnWExYp6728M8 

The Gaylidh is a queer twist on a classic East Coast tradition.

Blending ceilidh-style music with a Pride crowd, this event brings live tunes, group dancing, and a whole lot of joyful chaos to the festival. Whether you know the steps or not, you’ll be pulled into it in about five seconds.

Expect high-energy music, community vibes, and a dance floor full of people figuring it out together.

This installment of our Fit Together series is a pilates workout with Ryann from Aura Wellness. You are sure to work up a sweat and a smile! All skill levels are welcome. *Limited mats are available on site, so attendees are encouraged to bring their own. 

2SLGBTQIA+ communities face disproportionately high rates of anxiety, depression, suicidality, and barriers to affirming mental health care due to discrimination, stigma, and systemic inequities. At the same time, queer and trans communities have cultivated powerful traditions of resilience, creativity, and collective healing. Thriving, Not Just Surviving is a panel conversation that brings these realities together—examining the ongoing challenges while centering the joy, connection, and cultural knowledge that sustain 2SLGBTQIA+ wellbeing.

Grounded in lived experience, community expertise, and mental health practice, this panel explores what thriving looks like for queer and trans people beyond survival. Through discussion of joy as a mental health practice, trauma and healing, chosen family, cultural expression, and sustainable activism, panelists will highlight both the systemic forces impacting mental health and the community-led strategies that foster belonging, resilience, and care. The session reframes mental health as a shared responsibility rooted in solidarity and collective flourishing rather than an individual burden.

This conversation aligns with Halifax Pride’s commitment to education, equity, and celebrating the depth and diversity of 2SLGBTQIA+ life. It invites participants into a strengths-based, culturally informed dialogue that honours both the realities and the brilliance of queer and trans communities.

Presented by the Healthy Minds Cooperative 

Lay down a picnic blanket, grab a snack, and have fun at the Sapphic hangout! This closed-space hangout will have crafts, games, and good times. Come down with friends, or make some there! 

Game on! Join us at the Greenfoot Energy Centre for an evening of low stakes fun with Volleyball NS, some friendly matches. Whether you know how to play or have never touched a ball in your life, all are welcome to play! 

WRMII will be spinning tracks to keep the good vibes going all night!

The Haliwood Queers Game Show is a live, high-energy gameshow inspired by Hollywood Squares, with a queer Halifax twist. Brought to you in partnership with Eastern Front Theatre, the game features a grid of bold personalities and quick-witted contestants, and it’s packed with shady answers, unexpected moments, and a lot of chaos. Audience members have the chance to participate, jump into the game, and be part of the action.

Expect big characters, ridiculous responses, and a night that doesn’t take itself too seriously.

This community-academic panel invites an honest and intergenerational conversation about growing older within 2SLGBTQ+ communities, centring the voices and lived experiences of older adults. We will begin by introducing findings from our study on 2SLGBTQ+ aging in Nova Scotia, which includes interviews with more than 30 2SLGBTQ+ older adults from across the province, highlighting key historical events that have shaped the participants aging experiences, alongside their hopes for the future. Panel members will expand upon the findings, reflecting on how historic and contemporary events shape well-being in later life. We will then turn to strategies to strengthen health, social, and community systems for 2SLGBTQ+ older adults. The panel will conclude with an interactive, intergenerational art activity inviting audience members to reflect on the theme, “Honouring 2SLGBTQ+ Histories to Imagine 2SLGBTQ+ Futures.”

The conversation on growing older in 2SLGBTQ+ communities is particularly salient in the context of Nova Scotia’s rapidly aging population and systemic erasure of 2SLGBTQ+ history. As we live longer, it becomes increasingly important to learn how to promote equity in aging experiences and lifelong joy and resilience within the 2SLGBTQ+ community. Knowledge sharing and the re-telling of lived experience is a vital step in this process toward well-being later in life. Our current cohort of 2SLGBTQ+ older adults are the first to ‘age out’, or be able to age as their authentic selves, yet there is still a lack of opportunity for intergenerational connection within our communities. Our goal with this panel is create a dialogue about 2SLGBTQ+ aging and to encourage 2SLGBTQ+ people in Nova Scotia to think about our how our history impacts our aging futures. 

Presented by Dalhousie University; "Queering Age-Friendly Nova Scotia" Research Team

Looking for another chance to find your flow? We’ve got you covered! This installment of the Fit Together series will give you the stretch you’re looking for! All skill levels are welcome for this fun filled yoga class. *Limited mats are available on site so attendees are encouraged to bring their own. 

Looking to drag up your workout? Look no further than this drag fitness session! Brooke Rivers and Trinity Foxx are sure to add some sparkle to your sweat at this all-levels-welcome workout! 

The Halifax Wanderers Pride and Diversity Match is back! Kick it with Halifax Pride and cheer on Wanderers FC as they take on Supra Du Quebec in this match that is not to be missed! 

http://wanderers.spinzo.com/Pride

Pride Live is a brand-new concert and a first look at what’s to come for Canada Pride.

This high-energy night headlined by RALPH brings together a lineup of artists for an outdoor concert experience that sets the tone for 2027. As a preview of Canada Pride, Pride Live showcases the talent and atmosphere you can expect when the national celebration comes to Halifax.

Big stage, big sound, and a crowd ready for it. This is your sneak peek at what’s next.

Featured Artists: 

• RALPH

• Burry

• Wuzzô

• Mango Street Trio

• Good Dear Good

• MINOE

• Mayaya

Attention people and puppies alike! Come down to the So Fetch! Dog walk, where pups and humans can socialize on a nice walk through Shubie Park! Pets and people are encouraged to wear rainbow attire. Stick around after the walk for treats for all!

Shubie Park general information: https://www.shubenacadiecanal.ca/shubie-park

Join us at the Park Avenue Community Oven for a picnic with Queer friends and family! Meeting at the community oven, this all ages picnic is a chance to enjoy an afternoon in the sun, playing games, relaxing and making friends! You don’t want to miss this! Brought to you by the Downtown Dartmouth Business Commission

Dykes vs Divas is Halifax Pride’s most chaotic, crowd-favourite softball showdown. This all-ages daytime game pits a team of drag performers against a team of dykes in a friendly but fiercely campy battle for diamond-field glory.

As the sun sets on this year’s Halifax Pride festival, join us in a send off that is not to be missed! This two-hour party cruise brought to you by Ambassatours will have music, dancing, and the best vibes! Enjoy tunes from the DJ, sipping on cold drinks from our fully stocked bar, and taking in stunning harbour views as we bring the Pride to the water for this one-night-only cruise. Bring the energy on Halifax’s best floating dance club!