Get your Pride on
A rainbow of local events for next week's celebration

In case the rainbow flags flying along Main Avenue haven’t clued you in, it’s Pride Month in Durango and across the country. And to celebrate, there’s a whole slate of events planned for Durango’s Pride Week, which starts June 21. For five days, Durango will celebrate the LGBTQ+ community with everything from trivia, drag shows, comedy nights and even a roller skate day.

“We try to make sure there’s something for everyone, especially in Durango, and focus on all parts of the community,” Jake Riggs, the main organizer of the event, who goes by the drag name Aria PettyOne, said.

Durango hosts a number of Pride-related events throughout the year. Most notably, the Four Corners Alliance for Diversity hosts two Pride festivals every year, one in September and the other in February.

However, last year, after the Four Corners Alliance for Diversity moved its event from June to September, that left a void of events in what’s considered Pride Month, June, which commemorates the 1969 Stonewall Uprising in Manhattan. (A call to the Four Corners Alliance for Diversity was not returned.)

For those unfamiliar, the Stonewall Uprising was a series of protests by members of the LGBTQ+ community in response to a violent police raid that occurred at the Stonewall Inn, a gay bar in New York City’s Greenwich Village. The event is now considered a watershed moment for LGBTQ+ rights.

Now, Pride Month is celebrated in towns big and small, not just to honor the Stonewall Uprising, but to also build community among LGBTQ+ people.

“Being in a small town like Durango, it’s so important to have Pride,” Riggs said. “In small towns, people can feel ostracized. So to be able to get together and be around people with similar lived experiences is huge. Everyone deserves to feel comfortable in the town they live in.”

Even people from outside the area, such as Cortez and Farmington, come to Durango’s Pride events.

“We get a lot of people from other towns in the region, and they say, ‘if Durango can do it, we can try it too,’” Riggs said. “It doesn’t have to be as insane and as big as what we’re doing. Even just one day to let your community know we’re here, we’re queer, and we’re not going anywhere.”

And, it kinda goes without saying Pride’s more important than ever this year with all the political and legislative attacks on the LGBTQ+ community.

“It’s more necessary than ever to promote Pride,” Rigg said. “Pride has always been a stance against the norm and big government. So even if you go out and support local Pride, you’re supporting history and what got us here today.”

Alrighty, here’s what to expect next week:

• Wed., June 21 – Pride Kickoff Party, 5:30-8:30 p.m., Lola’s Place, 725 E. 2nd Ave.

Start the week off right with happy hour at Lola’s Place, where you’ll be able to meet people, have some food and drinks, and even win some door prizes. The entry is all ages and free, but you gotta buy your own refreshments.

“I know not everyone queer in Durango wants to go to a big party,” Riggs said. “So this is a happy hour that’s chill where you can sit and mingle.”

• Thurs., June 22 – Trivia, 7:30-9:30 p.m., Starlight Lounge, 937 Main Ave.

Riggs, performing as Aria PettyOne, hosts a wild trivia night every Thursday throughout the year at the Starlight Lounge. This time around, however, the trivia will be more Pride-themed, with questions about Pride season, pop culture, queer icons, etc. It also happens to fall on the three-year anniversary of Aria PettyOne’s trivia night at Starlight. The event is free and 21+.

• Thurs., June 22 - Lip Sync Battles, 10-11 p.m., Starlight Lounge, 937 Main Ave.

Right after trivia wraps up, the party will turn to a lip sync battle for non-drag performers. Brave souls will pick a song to lip sync to, and then judges will pick the top two performers who will go on for a final battle. But there’s a twist – the final song will be chosen at random by Aria PettyOne, and ultimately the crowd will crown a winner. And hey, at least it’s not karaoke! The event is free and 21+.

• Fri., June 23 – Comedy Battles, 6:30 p.m., Fort Lewis College Theatre

Comedians Mary Quinn and Bailey Carlson will host a night of comedy in which standup comics face off against improv comedians. In all, about five standups and five improv-ers will do their best to win over the crowd. The show costs $10 and is 18+.

“It should be a good time if you love comedy,” Riggs said.

• Fri., June 23 – After Party, 9:30 p.m.-close, Starlight Lounge, 937 Main Ave.

Right after the comedy battles, head on down to the Starlight Lounge for some late-night action, with music by DJ Kaibou. This is a free, 21+ event.

• Sat., June 24 – Planet Petty Drag Show, 7:30-9:30 p.m., Ska Brewing, 225 Girard St.

Aria PettyOne’s drag shows have become notorious around town, and this event promises to be no different. In fact, Aria PettyOne hosts a drag show at Ska on the last Saturday of every month. However, there’s a bit of bad news for the procrastinators…

“It’s sold out, so sorry everyone,” Riggs said.

• Sat., June 24 – Salacious Saturdaze, 9:30 p.m.-close, The Garage, 121 W. 8th St.

If you missed out on the drag show, fear not, there’s still plenty of partying to be had later that night at The Garage. Riggs said there will be drag performances and a dance competition, among other events. The event is free and 21+.

• Sun., June 25 – Pride Skate, 1-4 p.m., Chapman Hill Skate Rink, 500 Florida Rd.

To close out Pride Week, Chapman Hill will host a family-friendly open skate. Sponsored by Planned Parenthood, skate rentals are free (but if you have your own, bring ’em). There will also be door prizes and giveaways.

“We want an event for the whole family to come out and enjoy,” Riggs said.