The Yakima Pride presents Queer Is Punk! This year’s pride celebration features a parade and festival on Saturday, June 18. Hosted by Yakima Pride, a non-profit organization set on helping to create a safe space and inclusive environment for the LGBTQIA+ community, the organization presents Queer Is Punk as this year’s pride celebration theme!
The festivities kick off Saturday, June 18, at 10 a.m. with a parade and end with a festival from 11:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m., including vendors, musical artists, entertainment and more.
The parade will begin at 10:00 a.m. at S. 16th Ave and W. Yakima Ave. The ending point will be at E Yakima Ave. and Naches Ave. So, get there early to grab a good spot to watch the colorful parade.
The Yakima Pride festival will be held in the Naches Parkway on N. Naches Ave. and is hosted in the Center Park area. The Pride festival will be from the end of the parade, at 11 a.m., and go until 7 p.m.
LGBTQIA+ members, allies, and their families can find a safe and welcoming place in Yakima to come together and celebrate.
The main stage for the musical and drag performances will be located on Pendleton Way, in front of the Season’s Performance Hall.
This year’s festival is expecting an extensive lineup of performers, with official announcements comprising of musical acts by local artists, including (with more to be announced soon):
- Bad Habit
- Cockaphonix
- Ball Bag
- Anavanam
- Dead By Design
- Juniper Visaya
- Odessey
Juniper Visaya (they/them) was one of the musical performances during the 2021 Yakima Pride festival and is returning for another performance at this year’s Queer Is Punk! Pride 2022 Festival.
“I performed at Pride 2021 for the first time when my partner told me they were taking submissions for artists [to perform at the celebration]. I thought it would be super cool…the environment felt safe.”
Announcements of more performers are expected and will be announced on Yakima Pride’s Instagram and Facebook.
Yakima has become more inclusive over the years and more open to the LGBTQ+ community. In June of 2019 and 2020, Yakima City Hall flew the rainbow flag.
Pride in Yakima is one of the fastest-growing pride celebrations in Washington and one of the largest celebrations on the eastern side of the Cascade Range!
Yakima Pride encourages those who wish to participate to march with us in this year’s Pride 2022 parade, posting to their webpage with palpable anticipation:
“Yakima Pride encourages you to join us: OUT, LOUD and PROUD as we honor those that came before us and those who advocate alongside us…. While LGBTQ+ Pride celebrations in Yakima have often been celebrated out of public view and often in secrecy; we believe that Pride Parades should be celebrated in the spirit of visibility and ‘One Community.”
“Pride is important. A lot of us have to mask ourselves at school, work, and home, and it gets tiring. It can be scary… showing up for Pride in fear of counter protests. But we are there as a community to support each other,” says Juniper Visaya, speaking about why Pride Month is so crucial in Yakima.
Come on down and join in the celebration!
Parade kick-off: 10:00 a.m. at S 16th Ave. and W Yakima Ave. (Near Central Lutheran Church)
Parade endpoint: 11:00 a.m. at E Yakima Ave. and Naches Ave. (Near the Downtown YMCA)
The festival runs from 11:00 a.m. through 7:00 p.m. at The Naches Parkway on N. Naches Ave. (Near the Seasons Performance Hall and The Yakima Pride Office).
Bring your friends, family, and allies to show them the welcoming community Yakima offers our neighbors and LGBTQIA+ friends!
