Olympic Oval’s third annual Pride and Glide was dragtastic

The third annual Pride and Glide at the Olympic Oval brought together Calgarians for another unforgettable community event. Pride and Glide, part of Calgary Pride, was an opportunity for everyone, regardless of gender identity, gender expression or sexual orientation to enjoy an evening of public skating, an all-inclusive drag show, and stick-and-puck hockey.

For this year's Pride and Glide, the Olympic Oval decided to "drag" things up a bit. The oval's event team wanted to crush it with something new and exciting — Drag Queens on Ice! The event was “10s across the board.”

"We had the most fabulous Drags on Ice theme to complement our Pride and Glide. We brought in the amazing drag queen Karla Marx, and she brought along an incredible team of performers, including Addi Pose, Simon Sir Real, and Dogiichow. The drag performers absolutely killed it and had the crowd on their feet (and skates) with their energy and excitement," says Katie de Boer, marketing, communications and events specialist at the Olympic Oval.

The Calgary Inclusive Hockey Association also contributed with a session of stick and puck for guests who wanted to break in their hockey gear in a safe and inclusive environment. Rounding things out, DJ Lively Blake brought the house down with high-energy Pride anthems.

"This year was a first with all the different activations for Pride — it was incredible to see," says Brian Bergvinson, team lead, sports partner and guest relations at the Olympic Oval.

In its first year, the oval saw a modest 100 attendees at Pride and Glide. But fast forward three years, and more than 500 enthusiastic guests showed their colours. The attendance is a true testament to Pride's enduring popularity and underscores the unwavering dedication of the Faculty of Kinesiology to engaging the wider community. The oval wants to see it grow and become a community staple in years to come.

"I love the Oval's Pride and Glide. Where else can you skate, watch a drag show, play hockey and spend time with the LGBTQ2S+ community all at once? It’s unique to Calgary, and I hope they continue to make the event bigger and better each year. At the end of the night, I was a winner, baby!" says Malcolm Bell, an attendee at the event.

What can we expect next year?

Pride and Glide skate will continue to expand in the years to come. Guests can be sure to expect a fierce and fabulous event for 2025.

“Everyone is welcome at the Olympic Oval, regardless of how they identify or who they love. We want to demonstrate Pride every day, and Pride and Glide is one way to joyfully show that,” says Mark Messer, director, Olympic Oval.

As Ru Paul’s Drag Race might say about Pride & Glide, “Shantay you stay.”

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