Yeah, It’s March But You Still Need To Know Stuff About Seattle Pride 2013…

PrideFest 2012 at Seattle Center was gorgeously fun. What’s in store for 2013? Photo: Ryan Georgi/PoseWith.Us for Seattle Gay Scene

If you just want to ATTEND Pride activities in Seattle for 2013, you don’t need to know much…after all, it is over three months away. You have plenty of time to think about what to see/do/wear for Seattle Pride Weekend which is the last weekend of the month, June 28-30, 2013.

But, if you want to PARTICIPATE in Seattle Pride, you need to start planning…for businesses/groups, you need to figure out if you want  to march in the Parade or have a presence at the official PrideFest events at Seattle Center, or at the many other Pride related events and festivals going on that week. There’s not a huge amount of information available just yet, (though we’ve heard a rumor that a Parade theme should be announced very soon…we’re crossing our fingers for “Unicorns” or “Gay Seattle: Taste The Flavor!”) but here’s what we’ve found out so far.

SO&P’s annual talent show, “Pride Idol” is back for the 22nd year and once again at Neighbours. It’s exactly like “American Idol” meaning people compete in a singing contest and move on (or get the boot) and there are guest judges every week, hopefully as divine as Simon Cowell, and eventually someone is crowned just in time to ride on a float in the parade. This year’s contest starts Sunday, April 14 and it’s an early evening event (6pm to 8pm) so you can attend and still make it home in time to watch “Mad Men”! If you want to participate as a contestant in “Pridol” then go here and there is a $10 fee…but, if you want to watch it, it’s FREE!

Closer to the actual Pride Season in late June, most of the annual events you love, are back…including Seattle Out & Proud’s Pride Picnic presented by BECU on Saturday, June 15th and Seattle Frontrunners’ “Run and Walk With Pride” in Seward Park on Sunday, June 23rd. Pride Asia, after an apparently successful launch last year in the International District, will return on Sunday, June 23rd and give LGBTQ Asian Americans and their allies a chance to celebrate Pride in the heart of the city’s Asian community.

SO&P is of course also producing the annual Seattle Pride Parade through downtown Seattle on Sunday, June 30 starting at 11am at 4th and Union and proceeding down 4th Avenue to the Seattle Center, come “rain or shine”. Registration for the parade is not open yet; that should be announced “soon” and SO&P has not yet announced a theme or any Grand Marshals for 2013. The only parade announcers listed on the website so far, are Sylvia O’Stayformore and The Seattle Lesbian; no word on who will replace the much missed Geisha Starr, who recently moved away from Seattle. (Maybe, she’ll come back for Pride?) As for The Seattle Lesbian, who inexplicably had an announcing booth at the very tail end of the parade last year, we can only hope they bring in talented entertainment professionals like Lisa Koch and Peggy Platt to do the announcing for them this year…Hint, Hint.

Meanwhile, the folks over at OneDegree Productions are once again in charge of PrideFest at Seattle Center, the official Pride Day event on Sunday, June 30th from Noon to 8pm. Again, not a lot of info available on specifics, but you can sign up to be a vendor or sponsor. AND, they’re booking acts so if you’re local and talented go over here to start the audition process.

OneDegree will also be producing the popular RED Parties…the “Cock” party for men and the “Pussy” party for women, so named for their logos. Both are happening on Saturday night, June 29th and the website promises that more information will be announced this month.

There’s one new event coming from the OneDegree crew for 2013…they’re also producing an event on Capitol Hill on Saturday, June 29th…“PrideFest Family Day” is happening at Cal Anderson Park and we’re guessing it’s family friendly so we’re also guessing that means no go-go boys or Wendy Ho. More info on that event, coming in April. (Side Note: Filthy comedienne/chanteuse Wendy Ho WILL be in town that weekend…performing at The Triple Door of all places!)

The PrideFest Family Day event on that Saturday gives Capitol Hill another event to attend that day. The Broadway based “Capitol Hill Pride Festival” is back again, complete with poorly executed website and the beloved (?) “Doggie Drag Queen Pageant”. There will also be four stages of entertainment including one at Julia’s and one at The Grill on Broadway. (Biased opinion: The Grill had the best entertainment…Mama Tits and her crew, including the Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence who were bounced from Julia’s last year for unknown reasons, werked the crowd into a frenzy…) The festival starts at 11am and allegedly lasts until 10pm…though, we’re guessing most booths will scram by dusk.  If you want to sign up for a booth, go here. 

On the for profit side, we presume that the usual suspects: The Wildrose, Purr, The Cuff will all have their outdoor beer gardens with very special guests. We know Mr. Kauer/Nark will present his annual “Hey Tranny It’s Tranny” punky/funky/draggy/dance party/orgy on Friday, June 28, 2013, but we’re sworn to secrecy on where and who will be performing…though if you’re guessing that there will be out of town edgy performance artist types and a Drag Race diva or two, you probably wouldn’t be far off the Nark mark…

That’s all we know for now…or, are allowed to tell you. Much more to come in the weeks ahead…because you desperately need to know where to go/avoid to see the 12,947 RuPaul Drag Race stars who will be descending upon our fair city…

Hint: they all seem to stay at the Silver Cloud on Broadway…it’s Queen Central.