Listen to this articleTwo events are taking place at the same time as Utah Pride, mostly because of high booth fees and the fact the event charges a fee to enter, which it has done since 2005.
On June 2 from 6 to 11 p.m., June 3 from 3 to 11 p.m., and June 4 from 3 to 8 p.m., RIOT! Pride Street Fair 2023 will be hosted by Tara Lipsyncki at Sugar Space Arts Warehouse, 132 S. 800 West. The event is free to attend, except for seating at the Big Gay Broadway Brunch on Sunday at 3 p.m.
With the hashtag #takebackutahpride, the event is in protest of where the Utah Pride Festival is today.
Booths at the event ranged from $150 to $250 for vendors and food trucks and were at no cost to nonprofit organizations. The vendors, unlike at Utah Pride, were responsible for their own tents and tables.
Bell, Book, and Candle vintage gift shop and Cafe Juniper put together a “Pride Show Side Show” to be held at Church & State event space at 370 S. 300 East on Sunday, June 4, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
“Over 20 LGBTQ+ artists, allies, curators, and creators will grace our main event space, offering a whimsical experience that’s free for all to attend,” organizers posted. “Vendors will bring handcrafted goods, candies & confections, vintage clothing, rocks & gems, pet products, face painting, tarot reading, locally-roasted coffee, wood & resin works, fine artists, and more.”
Organizers told The Salt Lake Tribune their event was done, in part, because of the vendor booth fees of Utah Pride. “But not in a way that means to take away anything that they are doing and the work that the Pride Center does,” organizer Mariah Fralick said.
