CELEBRATE • BELONG • REJUVENATE
Diverse and Inclusive Salt Spring Island (DAISSI) is proud to announce the Salt Spring Pride Festival.
Join In and Create a Sense of Belonging in our Diverse Community.
We respectfully acknowledge that this Festival will take place on the ancestral and unceded traditional territories of the SENĆOŦEN and Hul'q’umi'num' speaking Coast Salish peoples.
Where: 351 Rainbow Road
Salt Spring Island, BC
(Farmers Institute)
When: Thursday, July 25 - Sunday July 28 , 2024
2023 Map
The Salt Spring Pride Festival is an opportunity for the 2SLGBTQIA+ community and their allies from the local and surrounding areas to come together and celebrate and encourage diversity and inclusivity that is so alive in queer culture. This festival is a safe space for people to show up as their full authentic expression to share in art offerings and to build a collective culture to facilitate belonging, support, and celebration.
This four-day extravaganza, housed at the Salt Spring Island Farmers’ Institute, will feature a rich tapestry of events, including the Pride Dance featuring headlining act Queer As Funk supported by a variety of local musicians, Djs and performers on the stage every evening. It also features Pop-Up Open Mics, Workshops, and Art Installations offered by attendees for attendees to create a plethora of community expressions and passions to share and create culture together. Along with DAISSI led activities, community discussions, and opening and closing ceremonies. Participants will have the opportunity to apply to Volunteer, offer Workshops, be a Performer, bring an Art Installation, or be a Vendor.
We also organize a Parade through the townsite of Ganges engaging anyone on the island who wishes to participate and witness Queer joy and Pride - complete with keynote speakers and performances at the end site.
The festival site is extensive and includes a Dance Hall, Family Zone, Outdoor Festival Stage, Vendor Village, Workshop Domes, Beverage Patio, covered booths, seniors and elders shaded rest area, and lots of space for camping in the Pride Camping Village where festival goers can get to know their queer neighbours and enjoy the family-of-choice experience.
The Standards of Conduct and The Create Safer Spaces Agreement
As members of our Festival community, we all play an important role in the success of the Pride Festival. We bear a responsibility to ourselves, to others and to the organization to uphold the following standards:
We Create Safer Spaces, Intentionally and Togetherness.
We are responsible to ourselves, to others, to the organizations.
We all act as Ambassadors of the Pride Festival.
We work as a team. We respect each other.
Our Mission
DAISSI (Diverse and Inclusive Salt Spring Island) is a grassroots Society fueled by passionate volunteer efforts of many people, that centres 2SLGBTQIA+ voices and sees our – queer identified folks, friends and allies – lived experiences through an intersectional lens. DAISSI's mission is to provide opportunities for queer socialization, create visible positive queer presence on Salt Spring Island, make referrals for specific needs, educational outreach and advocate for diversity and inclusivity.
Our Vision is that this Festival will help us love and care for each other, learn about and value our differences by volunteering together, re-establishing connections and strategically positioning ourselves to respond effectively to future challenges.
Introducing our Headliner this year….
QUEER AS FUNK!
They will be performing during our Saturday Night Pride DANCE 8:30pm-10:00pm on the Outdoor Festival Stage
2024 Parade Route Map
Saturday July 27th
11am - Muster at Salt Spring Library
11:30am - Pride Rally
12pm - Parade starts
Get Involved!
Volunteers
Create an inspiring volunteer experience for yourself and others!
The Festival prides itself in being an inclusive gathering that brings together people from diverse backgrounds and offers an opportunity for building our confidence in ourselves while we practice seeing our queer community through an intersectional lens. Volunteering is an opportunity to foster connections, learn new skills and be a valuable part of our queer community. We are excited to collaborate with you.
Vendors
Vendor spaces are available for Craft Tents, Information Booths and Food Trucks for the duration of The Pride Festival.
Vendor spaces are available for Craft Tents ($30), Information Booths ($30) and Food Trucks ($300) for the duration of The Pride Festival (July 25 – 28). Your fee includes two Vendor passes (one for the owner/operator and one for staff). Those two names will be provided to gate/security and only those people will have access to the site. If you will need more than two staff people, they can purchase Passes at the gate.
Workshops
Join in the festivities with the intention to create a sense of belonging, inclusive of our diverse lived experiences. Apply to bring your creative offerings to the Festival where participants can offer to lead experiences/activities/interests for the benefit of others, and together nurture the feeling of belonging.
Performers
Apply to be a Performer either on the stage or as a roving display. We welcome anything from DJs, live music, Clowning, Circus arts, and much more.
There will be daily Open Mics where you can offer any short performance up to 5 minutes. This application is for anyone wanting to offer a longer performance (set) on the stage or a performance off the stage.
Art Installations
Bring us your artistic displays of all sorts for participants to interact with and connect with some of the deeper stories that flow through our community.
In the past we have had a Queer History Timeline, a Queer Books Library, a Connection Corner, a life sized GenderBread Person, and more! Help bring our festival grounds to life with random works of art to inspire connection and reflection.
Be a Team Lead
Help make this festival a success by joining our pre-fest planning team. We are looking for dedicated volunteers who can offer more than the required 8 hours of volunteering. An Honourarium will be offered to Team leads to thank them and value their time and energy.
Teams requiring leads are:
Main Gate, Safety/First Aid, Workshops, Green Team, Family Zone, Media, Transportation/Parking, Performer Services, Stage Managing, Campground, Setup, and Teardown.
Email us if you’re interested in one of these Team Lead roles! You can also apply through filling out a Volunteer Application.
(Fees + Applicable Taxes at checkout) While supplies last…
Festival Day Pass, at the Gate only: $10 per day before 5pm
Children 12 and under, accompanied by and adult – FREE
Campers – FREE
Volunteers – FREE
Pride Dance Tickets Holders – FREE after 5:00 PM.
Camping Passes: (read the Camping Guidelines!)
General - All Inclusive Weekend Camping Pass: $180 (includes the Dance)
Nightly Camping Pass: $60 per night
Includes admittance to all four (4) days of the festival plus the Pride Dance
See Camping Guidelines section below for details and ticket purchases *
Festival Passes:
Adult Festival Pass: $65
Youth Festival Pass: $50
Includes admittance to all three (3) days of the festival plus the Pride Dance
Pride Dance - Saturday Night Passes:
Adult Ticket: $35
Youth Ticket: $20
Children Ticket: FREE for attendees 12 years of age and under when accompanied by an adult (reservation required to gain admission)
Youth are ages 13-18
Includes access to the site and Dance AFTER 5pm on Saturday only.
Tickets + Pricing
Camping
Festival Camping Pass: $180
includes 3 nights (Thursday, Friday, and Saturday) of camping* in the Pride Camping Village, free General Admission, Pride Parade preparations, Dance, on-site workshops and programming, outdoor stage music and performances plus access to vendors, and food trucks. Camping Pass covers up to 4 people in your single unit campsite. Fees of $30/night for each extra unit (tent, RV, trailer) in your party, to be paid when you check-in at the Gate.
or
Nightly Camping Pass: $60 per site per night
(see definitions below) in the Pride Camping Village – sites are filled on a first-come, first-served basis
Planning to camp? Be sure to read our guidelines on our “Camping” page via the button below thoroughly before booking your site. For example you need to pay $30/night/extra tent, to be paid upon check-in at the Gate.
Support
DAISSI is working to support Salt Spring 2SLGBTQIA+ communities through education, arts and cultural programming, and contributing to a safe and supportive network of health and social services.
DAISSI is a not-for-profit BC Society which relies on the generous support of volunteers, community partners, sponsors, supporters and donors. You can support the Salt Spring Pride Festival now by sending an e-transfer to accounts@daissi.ca.
For donations of $200 or more, DAISSI is able to receive donations on behalf of Salt Spring Island Community Services, who are able to issue charitable tax receipts for our shared mission. To issue a charitable tax receipt, we will need to collect your legal name and a postal mailing address for reporting purposes. For donations of $5000 or more, we will be pleased to work with you on a statement of your intent for the gift before it is made directly to SSI Community Services. To make a charitable donation, please e-mail DAISSI now.
daissievents@gmail.com