A PrideFest 2025 scene on Broadway
The producer of the events that fill Cal Anderson, Broadway and the Seattle Center with Pride celebrations every June is trying to close a $75,000 gap amid what it says is a nationwide downturn in support for LGBTQ organizations and queer causes and “sponsorship challenges across the country for organizations like ours.”
“Already, we are seeing a loss of about 1/3 of our sponsorship funding (around $225,000 total, or $75,000 down as of April 1),” the call for support reads. “At PrideFest, we are committed to throwing big, beautiful events that are free for all, but it takes hundreds of thousands of dollars to produce such a large event well, to pay artists, and to make it safe for everyone.”
PrideFest and director Egan Orion organize the annual Pride weekend events that include the party around the Seattle Center fountain that follows the city’s annual Pride parade and the street festival that precedes it and fills Broadway and Cal Anderson with vendors, performances, and fun. Here is a look at the 2024 PrideFest festivities on Capitol Hill.
Dykes on Bikes on their annual ride through the heart of PrideFest’s Broadway street fair
This year, Orion says the fundraiser is needed as the nonprofit tries to overcome an expected continued drop in sponsorship support. Money donated toward the $75,000 goal will go toward security and performance costs at the 2025 PrideFest events.
So far, giving has come in at a slow trickle with only $1,250 raised. Hopefully as word spreads and people learn about the issues hitting PrideFest and other LGBTQ-focused organizations, more support will emerge. The Seattle Gay News, meanwhile, reports that many important sponsors remain lined up to support the 2025 events including Delta, Whiteclaw, Smirnoff, New Belgium Brewing, Seattle Cider, Regence, Dublin Law Group, American Foundation for Suicide Prevention, QFC, and C89.5 radio.
PrideFest was incorporated by Orion in 2014, according to state records, and has grown into a nonprofit reporting around $400,000 in annual donations.
Nonprofits of all sizes are facing unprecedented uncertainty under the second Trump administration as questions grow around federal programs and grants and the cascading fallout that comes with the cutbacks and changes.
This year’s Seattle PrideFest theme is “More Rainbow.”
“Those who are fighting against our community want us to go away or dim our light, but we aren’t going anywhere or dimming anything,” Orion writes. “We want more diversity, more color, MORE RAINBOW.”
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An indirect answer to the question of ‘why can’t all cultural events that happen on CH just become giant events at Seattle Center instead’, that some people who allegedly live around here ask from time to time. Because they become giant albatrosses that live and die by sponsorship ahead of anything else and can’t scale back without collapsing themselves.
Why isn’t anyone naming and shaming the companies that are pulling out?
I’m curious also
My guess is due to WHY they’re pulling out. While it’s possible some are pulling out for ideological reasons, the more likely reason is economic – non-essential spending gets pulled back in times of uncertainty. Shaming folks who may come back in brighter times is shooting yourself in the foot.
Don’t defend bigoted business owners
News flash, Jason…not every decision is the result of bigotry simply because it involves a historically marginalized group.
In an interview on KUOW a reason for companies pulling out is a decrease in companies’ fund and/or uncertainty in the economy. It’s happening to many with the current tariffs. Here’s the interview: Local pride organizations see decline in funding.
And I’m sure there are other reasons for pulling out. Regardless, naming and shaming would look bad for pride organizations and minimize future funding from the same companies and/or other companies.
is that necessary?
Guess they shouldn’t have refused Amazon money last year.
Who’s pulling out? That would be interesting to know.
I’m surprised to see QFC still on the list given Kroger’s otherwise abysmal behavior in the community.
The parade has become a marching advertisement vehicle for sponsers. Pride needs to return to its roots as a rally for equal rights, respect … pride. We don’t need a lot of money for that.
while I agree in a way, putting on an event is more than just telling everyone where to meet up. permits, bathrooms, logistics, security, insurance, even a very minimal paid staff to coordinate volunteers and services. it adds up fast in a city like Seattle, especially if you want to have the event in the core of the city where it’s easily accessible and close to the community it serves. if you have suggestions on how to trim it down or want to donate your own time or space you should talk to the organizers. it’s very easy to say “they should do it cheaper,” very hard to accomplish that in reality.
We need a march and a rally, instead of a parade and an event. A hundred parading banners reading, “COMPANY NAME HERE suports Pride” is not our message.
This is an opportunity to focus, exclusively, on our achievements, community, comradery, humanity…. And, of course, we need to DOUBLE DOWN on our current struggles.
I hear ya D.C., and I’m appreciative of all the hard work that goes into the logistics of a Pride event. Corporate dollars are appreciated, but Pride is not about them.
They did id after the Stonewall uprising, we can too.
I believe Budweiser said they werent going to support Pride events this year and they’re usually one of the main sponsors at every pride event I’ve ever been to.
Of course it is sad to see this happen. Pride is a great event, and the corporate money has been useful. But also worth remembering that Pride began without corporate dollars and seems like there should be a way to have fun and honor and celebrate the community without dependence on corporate cash. Once you are dependent on others for funding . . . you are dependent on others for funding. Or, long term, could a nonprofit create an endowment that produced enough income to fund Pride each year?
And then we won’t buy from them. Case closed. PRIDE having cops or corporate shit sucked anyways.
I, for one, would like to know why (and possibly, whom) is pulling out? Uncertain financial conditions? Fear tjhat Trump will go after companies that support our communityu:]
Trump is going after schools, businesses, cities, and people who are trying to cast a wide net in loo0king at customers and employees; Consider how he is firing the most senior Black and Hispanic employees in government, and making accusations about “Diversity Hires,” and expelling anyone with a hispanic last namel you can see he is focused on Making America White again.
His attacks of universities in the name of stopping antisemitism is a smoke screen. He idolizes Hitler. Musk does Nazi salutes and passes on anti-sejetic troopes;
He wants to shut down the schools to “protect jews.” He wants people to blame Jews for the school closing. Remember his multiple connections with neo Nazis.
Don’t be fpopo;ed/
#NotInMyNamke
Ironic since it’s devolved into a parade of sponsors in Pride themed t-shirts.