Is Pride ever really over? Our collective answer is NO! Pride exists 7 days a week, 365 days a year. Or at least it should.
However, the celebrations of Pride do tend to cascade across the Pacific Northwest region throughout the summer months in particular, creating a string of various styles of performance, dance, celebration, and community to enjoy.
This past weekend, Tacoma was up at bat. ...and wow, did our friends down at The Mix TURN. IT. OUT.
In collaboration with longtime partners at Kendall's DJ & Event, the official Tacoma Pride Block Party at The Mix has grown with each passing year. This year's power-packed headliner lineup included the incomparable Monét X Change (from RuPaul's Drag Race), the effervescent Kendall Gender (RPDR Canada), and a stellar pop-up performance from Jayla Rose (Lizzo's Watch Out for the Big Grrrls).
As if all of that was not hot enough, resident queens and local superstars Anita Spritzer and Macy Marcs curated not one but two amazing drag shows, featuring some of the region's top talent. The soundtrack throughout the day was provided by DJs Toya B and Tony Burns, who kept that crowd rocking through a multigenre adventure. It was quite an incredible show from the moment the stage opened until the bittersweet finale, when months of hard work come to an end.
The party itself was full of interactive elements to keep attendees engaged: special slushies, Jell-O shots, food trucks, and even an ice cream truck! The love was definitely felt among the packed crowd on that block on St. Helens Street. From the bar staff to security, to the curation of the talent, everything was purposely planned to create the safest of spaces for our beautiful community to come together, let their hair down, enjoy and thrive in the legacy of Pride.