The first Calgary Pride Parade occurred on June 16, 1991. The rest of the week had events every day, including a four-night film festival, a Rocky Mountain Singers concert, an invitational Slow-Pitch tournament with carnival games on the side, and then a Pride Dance at Victoria Park Hall. Some of the 150 participants wore masks or even paper bags over their heads to avoid being identified. The Pride celebrations started with a fundraiser to help get Calgarians to the games. In 1990, the neighboring city of Vancouver was holding the Gay Games. The wind-up dance was held at the Hillhurst Sunnyside Community Association hall. There was an AIDS play, a murder mystery night, and more concerts. In 1989, the festival grew to a weeklong celebration and attracted more participating groups and pride nights at local bars. The first festival was very modest, with a music concert, workshop, community displays, a dance, and a family picnic. Pride in Calgary dates back to 1987: a group of local gay and lesbian organizations created the Project Pride Calgary (PPC) that would produce Calgary's first Gay and Lesbian Pride Festival in June 1988 in honor of the 1969 Stonewall riots in New York.
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