In a whirlwind weekend full of pride celebrations including a parade, drag brunch, a drag show and naughty bingo, Peak Pride is once again gracing Sun Peaks from Feb. 28 and March 1.
Presented by Rebellious Unicorns Production Company, this event is now an annual Sun Peaks tradition and is enjoyed by a vast demographic of locals and guests.
The array of events are open to anyone, executive producer Dustyn Baulkham said, with allies more than welcome along with the LGBTQ2S+ community.
About Peak Pride and Rebellious Unicorns
Baulkham started Rebellious Unicorns in 2017, with Peak Pride as its first event taking place in Big White.
“It was a way to showcase that ski hills weren’t always seen as safe places for queer people,” he said. “Even though some of us have had experiences that were good, it just wasn’t always seen that way.”
Sun Peaks began hosting the event in 2019 with one following in 2020 before COVID-19 restrictions put it on hold until 2023.
The event has been held on other mountains, one year taking place in four locations, but the focus is now solely on Sun Peaks.
During the weekend, Baulkham said he’s seen people feel more comfortable expressing themselves and being who they truly are.
“There’s often a lot more queer people on the mountain than someone might expect,” he said. “But they don’t always share it, because they aren’t always sure if it’s safe to.”
However, the Peak Pride events draw in mostly straight allies, he shared, adding that they always have a blast.
A broad audience is brought in when Ella Lamoureux, a Two-Spirit Indigenous drag artist based out of Kelowna hosts a drag brunch and a drag show as part of the weekend.
The demographic is everything from 19 and 20 year olds looking to party and 70 to 80 year olds, Baulkham explained.
“I know Ella’s really good at engaging with all of them during her numbers. It’s always a riot.”
What to expect this year
This year’s Peak Pride will take place over the span of Friday and Saturday.
Friday night at 7:30 p.m., Ella’s Naughty Bingo kicks the weekend off for folks 19 and over.
This event is one of the most popular, Baulkham said, so you’ll want to make sure to reserve your spot online for $20.50.
Saturday is when everything really gets underway, jam-packed with ticketed and free activities for all to enjoy.
Energize yourself with a Morning Meetup at 8 a.m. at Vertical Cafe, where you can socialize and grab a cup of coffee if you need.
Ella’s Drag Brunch is at 11 a.m., with a fee of $20.50, hosted at Capone’s Italian Kitchen by Ella Lamoureux and a transgender drag artist based in Calgary Alta., Karla Marx.
A pre-parade party at Sunburst Lodge will start at 1:30 p.m., with a DJ set up to get people amped before the parade down the mountain at 2:30 p.m.
Morrisey’s Public House is hosting a martini-themed aprés at around 3 p.m. once the parade is wrapped up. This will be followed by another ticketed event for $30.50, the Diva’s Drag Show at the Sun Peaks Grand Hotel.
Following a diva theme, Lamoureux and Marx are performing along with Kamloops local Autumn Horizon.
“Each of them have picked a queer icon and are going to do their songs for the night,” Baulkham said. “So Ella’s doing Tina Turner, Carla’s doing Cher and Autumn is doing Lady Gaga.”
The Diva’s Drag Show, Ella’s Drag Brunch and Ella’s Naughty Bingo are all adult themed, however 16 year olds are welcome to attend drag brunch provided they’re accompanied by an adult.
In what Baulkham described last year as a “sweaty pit of people,” another silent disco party will wrap up Peak Pride with multiple DJs bringing the heat into your personal headphones.
Dance the night away from 9 p.m. until the 1 a.m. close at Bottom’s Bar and Grill, with a cover charge at the door.
“We want to make sure people know that you don’t have to be LGBT to attend the events, allies are always more than welcome,” Baulkham reiterated. “And if you have questions, feel free to come to talk to either myself or the performers.”
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