Pocatello’s pride celebration to be held in new location
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POCATELLO – This year’s Pride festival is fast approaching, and organizers want to spread the word that the celebration is moving to a new location.
Gate City Pride 2026 will be held at Centennial Park on Saturday, June 20. Kellie Pierce, president of Gate City Pride, the nonprofit that organizes the annual event, tells EastIdahoNews.com that while the location of the event has changed, the nature of it hasn’t.
“(Gate City Pride is) an expression of joy. We all need that. We need to see the positives and celebrate each other, and I think (that’s) a really great feeling,” Pierce said.
For its first two years, the Gate City Pride festival was held at Lookout Point in downtown Pocatello.
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While Lookout Point was a good location, the organizers wanted to extend the event, starting earlier in the day and lasting longer in the afternoon. Because the Portneuf Valley Farmer’s Market takes place at Lookout Point every Saturday morning in the summer, Pride festivities couldn’t start until the afternoon.
Centennial Park became a “good solution” to that problem, Pierce said, “and also, we have some more shaded areas for attendees to kind of relax and chill out.”
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Now, Gate City Pride will run two hours longer than in previous years, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Attendees will be able to see a variety of performances this year, including local musical artists Jayson Hurley, Madd at the World, Charm Quark and Jelly, as well as a number of drag performances.
Attendees will be able to see a variety of performances this year, including local musical artists Jayson Hurley, Madd at the World, Charm Quark and Jelly, as well as a number of drag performances.
There will also be six different options for food:
- Sticks and Scones Food Trolley
- We Got This
- Sweet Carts
- Aguas Maria
- Shiver Shack Snow Cones
- Cindy Lou’s Kitchen
But what Pierce is most excited about is all the information on community resources that will be available at the event. “We’re a resource-forward organization, and so a lot of our nonprofits will be highlighted, as well as our vendors,” he said.
The event will also provide information on programs offered by Gate City Pride, including The Closet, which offers free gender-affirming clothes. The Closet operates in one of Station Square’s units at 200 South Main Street and is open every Thursday from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m.
“We offer more programs year-round … and we want people to know that, so they can receive support year-round from us,” Pierce said.
The way he sees it, the annual LGBTQ Pride festivities are not only about honoring those in the past who worked toward progress, but also celebrating the present.
“It’s important that we celebrate Pride. We honor our advocates and our leaders who fought for LGBTQIA rights,” Pierce said. “It’s a celebration of how far we’ve come, and also looking ahead at the work that needs to be done still.”