The top Pride Toronto 2016 parties by day of the week
Pride parties have already started to take Toronto by storm, and they're only going to get bigger and better. The final two-week stretch of this year's celebrations feature everything from parties at major cultural institutions to hot and sweaty basements. This year more than ever, people are coming together as a community to dance, celebrate and love.
Here's where to party for Pride this year in Toronto.
TOP PICKS
PRIDE TORONTO: Fright Night Live - Colour ROM Proud / Friday, June 24 / 7 p.m. / $15
Gays invade the ROM for one-night-only of dancing, performances, food and dranks. Six DJs, two soundscape rooms, one dance troupe, a gay men's chorus, four drag queens and some half naked gogo dancers pump up the stages and rooms of the museum. Say hayyy to the dinosaurs with food and drinks and help them colour the ROM proud.
PRIDE TORONTO: A Night at the AQUEERium / Sunday, June 26 / 8 p.m. / $50
Live out your Splash fantasies and party inside Ripley's Aquarium with Australia's DJ Kitty Glitter, mermaid drag queens and dancers in the water. Some enchantment under the sea to remember.
PRIDE TORONTO: Two-spirit Rainbow Pow Wow / Friday, July 1 / 7 p.m. / Free
Giving voices to all types of communities under the rainbow is what it's all about, right? This stage shines a light on our two-spirit with a night of Indigenous art, culture and music with two-spirit dancers, DJ Shub (A Tribe Called Red), and performances from Shawnee and Digging Roots. This event was programmed by and for two-spirit people, and their allies.
Fit Primpin' / Friday, July 1 / 10 p.m. / $30
Fit Primpin' returns this year with a new location and new guests. Combining the powers of west end gay staples Fit and Big Primpin', this party swirls with R&B, hip hop, dancehall, pop and house. This time the crew takes over Steam Whistle Brewery with Chicago's Banjee Report and go go hunks SpeciesBeing and Rify Royalty.
Cherry Bomb Pride / Saturday, July 2 / 10 p.m. / $20
There are so many amazing dance parties for lesbians this year, it's making me giddy. Cherry Bomb is always a massive highlight. With regulars Denise Benson and Cozmic Cat at the helm, they've invited Recklezz and Vancouver's Kasey Riot. There will be tons of visuals and two rooms of fun at the Mod Club.
PRIDE TORONTO: Tree House Party / Sunday, July 3 / 1 p.m. / $20
I want to recommend everything the Green Space Festival does every year. All they do is raise money for the 519 Community Centre with some of the best parties. Tree House is kind of the mother hen of parties. The Ryerson Quad is transformed into a giant, grassy dance club with DJs Sex Shooters, Yinon Yahel, and of course Isaac Escalante.
PRIDE TORONTO: Fist / Sunday, July 3 / 2 p.m. / Free
This is a party on a stage on Church Street run by New York culture queen Juliana Huxtable. Women and trans allies are in total control of the day and night of programming with Kim Ahn, Bambii, Sun Sun and Sigourney Beaver spinning for freaks.
PRIDE TORONTO: Drag On! Yonge-Dundas Square / Saturday, July 2 / 2 p.m. / Free
A drag marathon for the ages! Hosted by Lady Bunny and Bianca Del Rio, head to Yonge-Dundas Square and catch 50 local drag queens and kings, some Rupaul Drag Race faves and Pride's attempt to set the Guinness Book of World Records title for largest drag performance.
Hot Nuts: Summerwinds / Saturday, July 2 / 10 p.m. / $20
There's no party on planet earth like Hot Nuts. It barely belongs on this Earth! To celebrate 10 years of deep, delicious and weird house and outfits, they're bringing Austin's Christeene back for a filthy performance. DJs Produzentin and Das Hussy spin alongside hosts Mary Messhausen, Buzz and Peg Zilla.
PRIDE TORONTO: Blockorama / Sunday, July 3 / 12 p.m. / Free
The festival's longest running showcase is an activist-based, community focused outdoor party by Blackness Yes! Alabama troupe Prancing Elites will perform, and so will soca queen Alison Hinds and D'bi Young & The 333. On top of that, some of Toronto's finest DJs will keep the party poppin' all day.
PARTIES BY DAY OF THE WEEK
Wednesday, June 22
Thursday, June 23
Friday, June 24
Saturday, June 25
Sunday, June 26
Monday, June 27
Wednesday, June 29
Thursday, June 30
Friday, July 1
Saturday, July 2
Sunday, July 3
Did I miss any parties? We'd love to know more, so let our readers know in the comments section below!
Photo from the Green Space Festival.
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