After a two-year hiatus courtesy the COVID-19 pandemic, Tucson’s annual Pride festival returns this weekend for the 45th time.
The three-day Tucson Pride kicks off Friday, Sept. 30, with the annual Pride Parade, winding from downtown to Armory Park beginning at 7:30 p.m., and wraps up Sunday, Oct. 2, with the Tucson Pride Drag Brunch at HighWire Lounge, 30 S. Arizona Ave., off East Congress Street and South Sixth Avenue.
The big day is on Saturday, Oct. 1, when dozens of vendors and food trucks pull into Reid Park’s DeMeester Outdoor Performance Center for OUTober Fest 2022. The event runs from noon to 10 p.m. and features live music.
Tucson Pride has been hosting its annual festival celebrating Tucson’s LGBTQ-plus community since 1977, when community members held a memorial picnic at Himmel Park. The Tucson event is recognized as the oldest pride event in the state.
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On the Tucson Pride website, organizers said the group’s mission is to empower the LGBTQ+ community of Southern Arizona through community building, enhanced visibility and unwavering support. Organizers could not be reached for comment.
More than 5,000 people attended Pride in 2019, the last year it was held, and nearly 150 vendors were on hand, organizers said. The event was canceled in 2020 and 2021 because of the pandemic.
Admission to the parade is free. It’s $5 to $15 to attend Saturday’s festival and Sunday brunch tickets are $39.99 through tucsonpride.org.
Photos: Looking back at 2019 Pride celebrations around the world
Poland LGBT Rights
People take part in a gay pride parade in Warsaw, Poland, on Saturday, June 8, 2019. The Equality Parade is the largest gay pride parade in central and Eastern Europe. It brought thousands of people to the streets of Warsaw at a time when the LGBT rights movement in Poland is targeted by hate speeches and a government campaign depicting it as a threat to families and society. (AP Photo/Czarek Sokolowski)
Poland LGBT Rights
People take part in a gay pride parade in Warsaw, Poland, on Saturday, June 8, 2019. The Equality Parade is the largest gay pride parade in central and Eastern Europe. It brought thousands of people to the streets of Warsaw at a time when the LGBT rights movement in Poland is targeted by hate speeches and a government campaign depicting it as a threat to families and society. (AP Photo/Czarek Sokolowski)
Israel Gay Pride
People take part in annual Gay Pride parade in Tel Aviv, Israel, Friday, June 14, 2019.(AP Photo/Tsafrir Abayov)
Israel Gay Pride
People take part in annual Gay Pride parade in Tel Aviv, Israel, Friday, June 14, 2019.(AP Photo/Tsafrir Abayov)
Romania Gay Parade
A couple walks during a gay pride parade in Bucharest, Romania, Saturday, June 22, 2019. People taking part in the gay pride parade in the Romanian capital demanded more rights and acceptance for same-sex couples and celebrated 18 years since homosexuality, which used to be a crime according to a law in the country’s Communist era, was de-criminalized. (AP Photo/Vadim Ghirda)
Romania Gay Parade
A man wears a mask during a gay pride parade in Bucharest, Romania, Saturday, June 22, 2019. People taking part in the gay pride parade in the Romanian capital demanded more rights and acceptance for same-sex couples and celebrated 18 years since homosexuality, which used to be a crime according to a law in the country’s Communist era, was de-criminalized. (AP Photo/Vadim Ghirda)
Romania Gay Parade
Participants in a gay pride parade interact with a woman, right, holding icons and shouting in Bucharest, Romania, Saturday, June 22, 2019. People taking part in the gay pride parade in the Romanian capital demanded more rights and acceptance for same-sex couples and celebrated 18 years since homosexuality, which used to be a crime according to a law in the country’s Communist era, was de-criminalized. (AP Photo/Vadim Ghirda)
Chile Gay Pride
Revelers take part in the gay pride parade in Santiago, Chile, Saturday, June 22, 2019. (AP Photo/Esteban Felix)
Chile Gay Pride
A gay couple dances Tango during the gay pride parade in Santiago, Chile, Saturday, June 22, 2019. (AP Photo/Esteban Felix)
Ukraine Gay Pride
People take part in the annual Gay Pride parade, under the protection of riot police in Kiev, Ukraine, Sunday, June 23, 2019. Around five thousand LGBT activists and associations paraded in the center of Kiev. (AP Photo/Efrem Lukatsky)
Ukraine Gay Pride
People take part in the annual Gay Pride parade, under the protection of riot police in Kiev, Ukraine, Sunday, June 23, 2019. Around five thousand LGBT activists and associations paraded in the center of Kiev. (AP Photo/Efrem Lukatsky)
Brazil Gay Pride Parade
A reveler poses for a picture during the annual gay pride parade along Paulista avenue in Sao Paulo, Brazil, Sunday, June 23, 2019. (AP Photo/Nelson Antoine)
Philippines Pride March
A member of the LGBTQ community holds a rainbow flag as rain pours during a Pride march outside the Presidential palace in Manila, Philippines on Friday, June 28, 2019 to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the Stonewall riots in New York. The group is also marking the 25th year since the first Pride march in the country as they continue to call for gender equality and same-sex marriage. (AP Photo/Aaron Favila)
Philippines Pride March
A member of the LGBTQ community holds a banner during a Pride march outside the Presidential palace in Manila, Philippines on Friday, June 28, 2019 to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the Stonewall riots in New York. The group is also marking the 25th year since the first Pride march in the country as they continue to call for gender equality and same-sex marriage.(AP Photo/Aaron Favila)
Nepal Pride Parade
Members and supporters of the Queer Youth Group carry placards and march in a Pride parade to mark pride month in Kathmandu, Nepal, Saturday, June 29, 2019. (AP Photo/Niranjan Shrestha)
Nepal Pride Parade
Members and supporters of the Queer Youth Group participate in a Pride parade to mark pride month in Kathmandu, Nepal, Saturday, June 29, 2019. (AP Photo/Niranjan Shrestha)
Serbia Gay Rights
Gay rights activists walk during Serbia’s gay pride march in Belgrade, Serbia, Saturday, June 29, 2019. Hundreds of gay and human rights activists at Serbia’s gay pride event marched through the city center. (AP Photo/Darko Vojinovic)
Serbia Gay Rights
Serbian riot police guard gay rights activists during gay pride march in Belgrade, Serbia, Saturday, June 29, 2019. Hundreds of gay and human rights activists at Serbia’s gay pride event marched through the city center. (AP Photo/Darko Vojinovic)
India Pride Walk
Gay rights activists walk with a rainbow colored flag during a rally to commemorate the twentieth anniversary of the first pride parade in the country, in Kolkata, India, Saturday, June 29, 2019. (AP Photo/Bikas Das)
India Pride Walk
Gay rights activists walk in a rally to commemorate the twentieth anniversary of the first pride parade in the country, in Kolkata, India, Saturday, June 29, 2019. (AP Photo/Bikas Das)
Italy Gay Pride Parade
Revelers kiss during the gay pride parade in Milan, Italy, Saturday, June 29, 2019. (AP Photo/Luca Bruno)
Italy Gay Pride Parade
A reveler dances during the gay pride parade in Milan, Italy, Saturday, June 29, 2019. (AP Photo/Luca Bruno)
Mexico Gay Pride Parade
Mexico City’s Angel of Independence dominates the starting point of the gay pride parade in Mexico City, Saturday, Jun. 29, 2019. (AP Photo/Christian Palma)
Mexico Gay Pride Parade
A performer flies a rainbow flag during the gay pride parade, in Mexico City, Saturday, Jun. 29, 2019. (AP Photo/Christian Palma)
Portugal Gay Pride
Revelers dance during Lisbon’s Gay Pride parade Saturday, June 29, 2019 in Lisbon, Portugal. (AP Photo/Armando Franca)
Portugal Gay Pride
A reveler atop a bus uses a water gun on others dancing below during Lisbon’s Gay Pride parade Saturday, June 29, 2019 in Lisbon, Portugal. (AP Photo/Armando Franca)
Paraguay Gay Pride Parade
People march during the Gay Pride parade in Asuncion, Paraguay, Saturday, June 29, 2019. (AP Photo/Jorge Saenz)
Paraguay Gay Pride Parade
People march during the Gay Pride parade in Asuncion, Paraguay, Saturday, June 29, 2019. (AP Photo/Jorge Saenz)
Ecuador Gay Pride Parade
Revelers attend the Gay Pride Parade in Quito, Ecuador, Saturday, June 29, 2019. (AP Photo/Dolores Ochoa)
Ecuador Gay Pride Parade
Revelers take a selfie during the Gay Pride Parade in Quito, Ecuador, Saturday, June 29, 2019. (AP Photo/Dolores Ochoa)
Peru Gay Pride Parade
A masked man poses for a photo with writing on his chest that reads in Spanish: “My brown body matters,” during the annual gay pride parade in Lima, Peru, Saturday, June 29, 2019. (AP Photo/Rodrigo Abd)
Peru Gay Pride Parade
A man poses for a photo with his face painted with the LGBTQ colors during the annual gay pride parade in Lima, Peru, Saturday, June 29, 2019. (AP Photo/Rodrigo Abd)
Colombia Gay Pride Parade
A man wears a headpiece fashioned with syringes and fake blood, as a way to protest the spread of HIV during the gay pride parade in Bogota, Colombia, Sunday, June 30, 2019. Thousands paraded through the streets during the annual gay pride parade in support of peace and against sexual discrimination. (AP Photo/Fernando Vergara)
Colombia Gay Pride Parade
Revelers wrap themselves in a rainbow flag to pose for photos during the gay pride parade in Bogota, Colombia, Sunday, June 30, 2019. Thousands paraded through the streets of Bogota during the annual gay pride parade in support of peace and against sexual discrimination. (AP Photo/Fernando Vergara)
Colombia Gay Pride Parade
A reveler dressed as a Mexican “catrina” participates in the gay pride parade in Bogota, Colombia, Sunday, June 30, 2019. Thousands paraded during the annual gay pride parade in support of peace and against sexual discrimination. (AP Photo/Fernando Vergara)
Turkey Pride
Turkish police move to disperse activists on a street in central Istanbul, after a Pride march event was banned by authorities, in Istanbul, Sunday, June 30, 2019. Activists gathered in Istanbul to promote rights for gay and transgender people Sunday before police dispersed the crowd at a pride event that Turkish authorities had banned for the fifth year. (AP Photo/Lefteris Pitarakis)
Turkey Pride
People celebrate on the street during a Pride march event was banned by authorities, in Istanbul, Sunday, June 30, 2019. Activists gathered in Istanbul to promote rights for gay and transgender people Sunday before police dispersed the crowd at a pride event that Turkish authorities had banned for the fifth year. (AP Photo/Lefteris Pitarakis)
2019 Stonewall Day Honoring 50th Anniversary
Kyle Motsinger, center, participates in the second annual Stonewall Day honoring the 50th anniversary of the Stonewall riots, hosted by Pride Live and iHeartMedia, in Greenwich Village, Friday, June 28, 2019, in New York. (Photo by Greg Allen/Invision/AP)
2019 Stonewall Day Honoring 50th Anniversary
Alicia Keys performs during the second annual Stonewall Day honoring the 50th anniversary of the Stonewall riots, hosted by Pride Live and iHeartMedia, in Greenwich Village on Friday, June 28, 2019, in New York. (Photo by Greg Allen/Invision/AP)
LGBTQ Pride
Marchers carry signs with historical LGBTQ figures during the Queer Liberation March in New York, Sunday, June 30, 2019. New York is throwing a massive LGBTQ Pride march as other cities including San Francisco, Chicago and Seattle also host parades commemorating the 50th anniversary of the clash between police and gay bar patrons that sparked the modern gay rights movement.(AP Photo/Seth Wenig)
LGBTQ Pride
Parade-goers kiss during the LBGTQ Pride march on Sunday, June 30, 2019, in New York, to celebrate five decades of LGBTQ pride, marking the 50th anniversary of the police raid that sparked the modern-day gay rights movement. (AP Photo/Wong Maye-E)
Seattle Gay Pride
A member of the Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence makes a “heart” symbol toward spectators during the 45th annual Seattle Pride Parade Sunday, June 30, 2019, in Seattle. The parade commemorated both the first “gay liberation week” in Seattle in 1974 and the 50th anniversary of the Stonewall uprising, a police raid that sparked the modern-day gay rights movement. (AP Photo/Elaine Thompson)
LGBTQ Pride
A man dressed as Jesus marches during the 45th annual Seattle Pride Parade Sunday, June 30, 2019, in Seattle. The parade commemorated both the first “gay liberation week” in Seattle in 1974 and the 50th anniversary of the Stonewall uprising, a police raid that sparked the modern-day gay rights movement. (AP Photo/Elaine Thompson)
LGBTQ Parade Chicago
Participants take part in the 50th Chicago Pride Parade in Chicago, Sunday, June 30, 2019. (AP Photo/Amr Alfiky)
LGBTQ Pride Chicago
Ulonda Sutton, from Ohio, poses for a portrait during the 50th Chicago Pride Parade in Chicago, Sunday, June 30, 2019. (AP Photo/Amr Alfiky)
Boston Pride Parade
U.S. Rep. Joe Kennedy III, D-Mass., pushes a stroller as he greets onlookers during the Gay Pride Parade, Saturday, June 8, 2019, in Boston. (AP Photo/Elise Amendola)
Capitol Pride Parade
People watch the conclusion of the Capitol Pride Parade at Dupont Circle in Washington, Saturday, June 8, 2019. (AP Photo/Andrew Harnik)
Capitol Pride Parade
A police officer stands behind crime scene tape, Saturday, June 8, 2019, at Dupont Circle in Washington. Officials in Washington say several people were injured after a panic at the LGBTQ pride parade sent people running through the streets of the nation’s capital. (AP Photo/Patrick Semansky)
Roosevelt Island – Pride Flag
A monumental stair at the FDR Four Freedoms State Park is transformed into a giant, rainbow-hued LGBTQ flag in celebration of WorldPride, Monday June 17, 2019, on Roosevelt Island in New York. The display, called “Ascend,” commemorates the fiftieth anniversary of the Stonewall uprising on Saturday, June 28, 1969, when NYPD officers raided the Stonewall Inn, a small gay bar in NYC’s Greenwich Village. (AP Photo/Bebeto Matthews)
Los Angeles Pride Parade
Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti greets a parade-goer while participating in the annual Pride Parade in West Hollywood, Calif. on Sunday, June 9,2019. (AP Photo/Richard Vogel)
Los Angeles Pride Parade
Representing the LGBT Center a participant dressed as a pride cake joins the annual Pride Parade in West Hollywood, Calif. on Sunday, June 9,2019. (AP Photo/Richard Vogel)
Cassandra Scott is a University of Arizona journalism student apprenticing with the Star.
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