The time is near!  It's time to get your Pride on with PFLAG Vancouver in the 2014 Vancouver Pride Parade!

Attached you will find all the guidelines from the Vancouver Pride Society, along with maps of the parade route and the staging area.

Directions for the Pride Parade w/ PFLAG - Sunday August 3rd

The Pride season is upon us in Vancouver, and we’re really hoping the weather will be fabulous!  We ask that you be prepared for whatever Mother Nature has to deliver.  Below you will find information about where to find us, what to bring and what to expect.

IF YOU PLAN TO JOIN US IN THE PARADE
If you wish to join us in the parade, timing is everything. Here are the details:

Marchers must join us no later than 11:30am on Sunday August 3rd.
We will be located at the front of the parade - our location number is AS15.

The parade staging area is divided into six sections, A through F; section A will be located on Robson Street between Thurlow and Burrard - please note this is a change from 2013.

As a marcher, you can access the staging area one of three ways: You can walk along Thurlow from either direction, then turn on to Robson and head east until you see AS15 - we will have a truck, and you should be able to see our PFLAG signs; you can also enter the staging area from Robson and Burrard.  It’s sometimes hard for us to know in advance which the best route is, but hopefully this map will help you find the most convenient route based on your location.

We will need people to hand out stickers, and we also need marchers who can march alongside the vehicle, one marcher per wheel. For 2014, it is mandatory for us to have a marcher at each wheel or we may incur a fine. If you are interested in either of those tasks, please contact us in advance.

THINGS TO CONSIDER BRINGING WITH YOU
Sunscreen
Hat
Comfortable shoes
Water
Umbrella
If standing is an issue, consider bringing a small folding chair that you can carry

Please note that we will have a loud sound system. If noise is a concern for you, consider bringing earplugs as well.  The Vancouver Pride Society has made it clear this year that once you are on a float in the parade, regardless of size, you must stay on that float until the end of the parade.  That means we will not be able to allow marchers to get on and off, (or in and out of), vehicles along the parade route.  The truck itself will have limited room due to the large amount of equipment we will need to carry.  We will also require one person to march alongside each wheel of the vehicle in order to ensure crowd safety, (sometimes young children run towards moving vehicles, certainly a hazard).

Important: If you plan to place anything in the back of the vehicle to retrieve at the end, it must have your name on it and be quickly identifiable.  The end of the parade is always a challenge for us as we have to move very quickly.  Marchers will be separated from the float, and are often separated from belongings.  Please ensure that if you store something in the back of the vehicle, that you can retrieve it very quickly at the end.  PFLAG is not responsible for lost items, although we will do whatever we can to return any materials found left behind.

The parade will begin at Robson & Thurlow, continue down Robson to Denman, then left on Denman to Beach, keeping left until the end at Pacific & Jervis. The staging area, (where we assemble), will be fenced in to facilitate more crowd control.  Please do not let this deter you.  You do not need to show any identification in order to join us.  At the end, parade marshals will move us very quickly to a spot where we have 5 minutes to tear down whatever we can in order to make the vehicles road worthy. *We do NOT have a booth at the festival this year, so once we disassemble at the end of the parade, we will not have another meeting place.*

PFLAG Canada’s mission is to support, educate and provide resources for parents, families and friends when it comes to LGBT issues – we want to not only bring a message of support to the parade, but we also want to educate others about the importance of support for LGBT people at all levels of government.  Sometimes we’re asked ‘why have the parade’, seeing as we live in a country that is so inclusive.  Our hope is that through education and awareness, we can create a better world for all.

We hope you will join us!  If you are receiving this message through Facebook, please ensure you let us know if you are planning to join by clicking ‘Join’ or ‘Going’.  We’re hoping that those who’ve indicated they are attending will be able to help us carry a sign or a flag in the parade.  If you’re not able to attend, please indicate that as well so that we can better assess how many marchers to expect.

We look forward to seeing you on Sunday August 3rd! Please e-mail us at [email protected] if you have any questions.