COVID restrictions force postponement of Kelowna Pride week

Kelowna Pride is hoping COVID-19 restrictions will ease enough in October to allow its events to be held later that month.

“With health measures changing frequently and the uncertainty that such changes bring, the Kelowna Pride Society board voted to move the celebration in the hopes that the end of October will be a more suitable and certain time,” a Kelowna Pride Society news release issued today, Sept. 1 states. “All events and programming will follow the appropriate health directives.”

This year’s event had been scheduled for Sept. 19 to 27 but “COVID-19 case counts in the Central Okanagan and the subsequent health measures introduced by the Interior Health authority made a September celebration very challenging,” organizers said.

READ MORE: iN PHOTOS: Hundreds show their Pride in Kelowna

The celebration has been moved to Oct. 22 to 30, with the Pride Festival and March on Saturday, Oct. 30.

The society is still looking for volunteers and sponsors for its events.

Pride Week was last held in the summer of 2019, before COVID, with more than 12,000 people attending the festival and march.

The theme of Pride Week 2021 is 25 Years of the Pride Movement – The Work is Not Done.

READ MORE: MP Tracy Gray lashes out after being banned from Kelowna Pride events

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