Aurora Pride

by Ray Manzari

Besides taking place in August instead of June, there are lots of things that set Aurora Pride apart from other celebrations across the front range. Aurora Pride was started in 2016 after the founders noticed that many of the requests for LGBTQ resources in the city were being redirected to Denver. Aurora is the third-largest city in the state after Denver and Colorado Springs, and the founders of Aurora Pride felt it was high time that the city received its resources and, of course, its own pride celebration.

Another way Aurora Pride is set apart from other pride celebrations in the state is its venue. Held at the Aurora Reservoir, Aurora Pride truly combines the city’s mix of urban and outdoor living. With a beautiful beach for picnicking and an array of water activities like kayak rentals, festival-goers will have access to the great outdoors that makes Colorado a spectacular place to live.

Aurora Pride makes it a point to work with as many local vendors and businesses as possible. While other Colorado cities rely on larger corporate sponsors, Aurora Pride sponsors are all locally owned and operated, including their continued partnership with Aurora-based brewing company Dry Dock Brewing. The festival also features a host of local food trucks with a wide range of cuisines and dietary options.

A new addition to the festival this year is the inclusion of a second stage where even more incredible local entertainment can be enjoyed all day long. It's just as important to Aurora Pride founders to hire local artists and entertainers as it was to work with various local vendors and businesses. While the big national acts do help draw in crowds, Aurora Pride is all about the community that is already here all yearround. From musical acts to drag, festival-goers will have a host of entertainment to enjoy the entire day.

“I just want to thank our queer representatives in the city of Aurora for fighting every single year to make this event happen. There's always a little push and pull, Aurora is a diverse community not just in terms of religion but also across the political spectrum. It is so important that we have those queer representatives that fight for us every year so that we can keep making this happen,” says Zander Oklar, executive director of Aurora Pride.

Don’t miss your chance to snag some early bird tickets online before the day of the event for $10 off various ticket prices. New for this year as well, the festival grounds will be open to the public by 7 a.m. for early access ticket holders who want to snag that perfect spot along the beach. Aurora Pride will be held this year on August 5 from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. at the Aurora Reservoir. Can’t wait to see you there!