We recently had the chance to speak with Dylan Conmy, president of the HumanKIND Initiative, about what visitors can expect to see at the 5th Annual Ottawa Family Pride Festival. There’s a lot to be excited about for this year’s festivities! How will you show your pride in the Middle of Everywhere?

First, we got the overview on the parade, vendors, and some activities that will be available.

“We will have our usual annual John Fisher Dan Memorial Pride parade. That’s coming back. The kickoff is at 10 A.M.,” he said, “We have over 120 vendors now. This year have added a couple new activities.  We have the Exotic Summit Reptile show coming at 11 o’clock that’ll run for about an hour in Washington Park.” 

“We are back to our original setup, which is Washington Park and Jordan block, because they’re doing the construction on the riverfront. We’re really excited to add the reptile show for those who enjoy reptiles. For those who don’t, they’ll only be there from 11 to 12.”

“We have World of Bounce, bringing inflatable obstacle course, which will have a water slide feature. So that’s always good for the warm weather. That one is a fundraising aspect, so it is two dollars to participate, but you get to go through two times.” Cash or card will be accepted for the inflatable obstacle course as well.

We also got the inside scoop on some of the entertainment that will be at the festival. Music lovers are sure to enjoy the fun. Plus, there are plenty of activities for the whole family to enjoy!

“Magic Matt’s coming in to do his magic family show. He will be in Jordan Block. He’ll do a show at 11 A.M, and he’ll do a show at 3:30. In between that, making balloon animals all day. The Flannel Junkies will be doing their 90s covers,” Dylan said, “They’ll be doing music from 10 A.M. all the way until 1 P.M. on the stage in Jordan Block. And then from the rest of the time on that stage, will be DJ Vinyl Messi. And then there are food trucks in both parks,” he explained. “Tim the Mime is coming from Chicago. I think he’s gonna be juggling as well.  He’ll be in the parade. The Windy City Mermaids will be there. You can try on mermaid tails and take photos with them in Washington Park.” 

With over 100 vendors, food trucks, and plenty of exciting activities, there will be a lot to explore this year! The fun doesn’t end there, of course. We also got to hear about the Ottawa Family Pride Festival’s annual drag show and even more family activities! Broadway and Drag Race fans are sure to enjoy.

“The drag show is moving to Washington Park this year and that will start at noon. Drag show is being , hosted by Nina West And Darienne Lake, both are RuPaul alumni. Nina West is also a Broadway star, she finished touring in Hairspray.  And they’re both our Grand Marshals as well, so that will be at noon,” Dylan said. 

“Our main DJ in Washington Park Is Charles Van Horn entertainment. They are actually the HumanKIND Initiative’s Official Entertainment provider, and they do all of our karaoke nights, and Like pride prom in our Gala. So they’re very, very essential to everything we do. So they’ll be taken care of all the main music in Washington Park.” 

“We have a secondary DJ who will be On the north side of Washington Park.  He’ll be spinning music and he’s going to have karaoke available to people who want to do a little bit of karaoke throughout the day. Crazy Cat Lady will be there doing her usual face painting, and she will be going 100 of all of her proceeds that day to the HumanKIND Initiative.” 

This year, it looks like the music lovers are winning! If you’re looking for a way to show your pride, there will also be festival shirts for sale.

“SS shirts n More is responsible for all of our merchandise. It’s our fifth year doing Pride Fest. So, this year, we have five different gay cryptid shirts for fundraising.  The most popular one seems to be Mothman. That is based off of our main shirt design. Our theme for this year is ‘believe in yourself,’ so that’s why we tied it with. There’s Mothman, a Bigfoot, Nessie, El Chupacabra, and the Kraken, five different Cryptid shirts,” Dylan said, “Since the first one went over so well, and then they’re doing laser printing this year, so they’re going to be customizing our keychains and stuff right on the side.” 

It’s clear there’s a lot to enjoy tomorrow! But how did such an event get to where it is? We spoke with Dylan on the past years for setting up the Family Pride Festival. First, we discussed the ever growing number of attendants!

“Last year, we hit record numbers, and it was just under the population of Ottawa. So, we are expecting to breach 20, 000 people this year, which is crazy. The first year, we were just under 5, which was already just amazing to see, especially in a smaller rural area, without many resources, if any. So, to be able to say that, we’re going to breach 20, 000 people this year is heartwarming, and promising, and a sign of great allyship. I think another really important thing to point out is there are so many allies that show up to Pride.”

Whether you’re showing off your own pride or supporting a loved one, there are plenty of reasons to check out this colorful festival. Next, we discussed how the event has evolved from humble beginnings, to becoming bigger than ever before.

“It started, as we didn’t know if it would have a big turnout that first year, or even make it to a second year. And we hoped it would obviously, but what started as a vendor fair and some family friendly activities, has now turned into part of our non-profit that we blossomed from that, and a full day of resources and people sharing stories,” Dylan said. 

“I think that was the important thing after year one. So many people started reaching out and saying, ‘When’s the next event?’ People were starting to find themselves and feel safe to come. And we opened the community center last year, and people feel more and more comfortable to spend time at the community center and reach out.” 

“So, Pride Fest has become more than just another festival in town. It has become life-saving, people have told us in many ways because of the area we were, and that’s why we continue to push for it to become Better every year, bigger every year more inclusive every year, Because it’s not just a party to us. It’s not just another summer festival.  It’s really a chance for everyone to stand up, lift their heads up,” Dylan said, “No one needs to hide, and they have a strong wall of support, so I’m really think it’s grown into something very powerful. It’s become a movement. We get more sponsors every year. New sponsors, new allies, so I think it’s necessary. It’s powerful.  I will also say that’s why donations are so important.” 

The Friendly City is a great place for people to come together and support their community. When you realize how many community focused events Ottawa has, it’s no wonder that we’ve been able to achieve great things together. After speaking on the past of the event, we asked Dylan about any future plans for the next iteration of the Ottawa Family Pride Festival.

“We open the vendor registration for the following year a week after Pride ends, and people start signing up right away. But because we have the community center now, we are also always planning things at the property as well. In the midst of getting ready for remodels, we have our first 5K coming up this October, and we have barbecues that we’re planning. We have all sorts of things to announce, but we’re definitely always getting ready to start planning as soon as this one’s over. And we’re always open for any ideas for what people are looking for next year, or any requests for what people would like to see at the property as well. And that’s including resources,” said Dylan.

A full day of family fun awaits, Saturday June 13th! As our interview drew to a close, we asked Dylan if he had any closing thoughts.

“Just expressing that it really is a day for everyone, and so many families attend. It really is a family day. And that there are opportunities, to spread Kindness, and… it’s probably one of the happiest events that you’ll see… People are just happy to be out, and be themselves, and be celebrated. So, if you haven’t been, I really encourage everybody to come down just for a little bit. Grab some food, support the merchants,” he said.

Ottawa Family Pride Festival kicks off its 5th year with the annual John Fisher Dann Memorial Parade at 10 AM, at Washington Square. We hope to see you there in the Middle of Everywhere! For more information on the HumanKIND Initiative or Pride Fest, check out their official website.