Today Calgary Pride and the Government of Alberta are thrilled to announce the attendance of Premier Rachel Notley at the 2016 Parade, September 4th 2016.

"Calgary Pride is a special event that brings Albertans together to celebrate our diversity and promote equality," said Alberta Premier Rachel Notley. "I’m looking forward to taking part in the parade again this year and thanking Calgary Pride for over 25 years of unwavering support for the LGBTQ community. Our government stands with you in ensuring safe and inclusive schools for our kids, protecting gender identity and expression in law, and fostering an inclusive province where all Albertans have opportunities to succeed."

"Pride is a movement that seeks to promote a society free from all types of discrimination based on sexual orientation, gender identity and expression," said Craig Sklenar Director of Government Affairs for Pride, "Our elected officials play a key role in advancing that mission and expanding the rights of all citizens. Premier Notley has been a longtime ally of the queer community, and we couldn’t be more thrilled that she is going to be able to display that support publicly through her attendance at the parade."

The Calgary Pride festival is presented by ATB Financial and is the fastest-growing major pride celebration in Canada. The parade is oversubscribed in terms of entries and is expected to draw 4,000 participants and over 60,000 supporters.

"We believe that everyone deserves happiness and acceptance and we’re celebrating Calgary Pride in a big way," says Dave Mowat, ATB President & CEO. "We’ve created a rainbow-coloured ‘Pride Walk’ outside our branch on Stephen Avenue, we plan to light McMahon Stadium in Pride colours, and we’ll certainly be waving our flags proudly on parade day."

The grand marshal for the 2016 Pride Parade is Calgary-born musician Rae Spoon, who is also an ambassador for the trans and non-binary communities.

Calgary Pride will be taking particular time to focus on the trans community this year, donating merchandise proceeds to trans advocacy and education.

The Calgary Pride Festival Presented by ATB Financial runs from August 26 – September 5th 2016, with over 30 events to engage and celebrate every aspect of our diverse community. The signature Calgary Pride Parade and Pride in the Park events take place on Sunday, September 4th, 2016, and are free to attend. Event details are available at www.calgarypride.ca