The Sawtooth Botanical Garden (SBG) is presenting its third annual Pride in the Garden Festival on June 11 - 17. Two events are ticketed and three are free. The Festival endeavors to celebrate the LGBTQAI+ community and its allies, and also serves as a fundraiser for the nonprofit botanical garden. Tickets and information are available at sbgarden.org.
The festival begins on Sunday, June 11 at the Forest Service Park in Ketchum, 3-8pm. This free kickoff event is open to the public and will feature food and beverage vendors, and education and entertainment, along with speakers and plenty of color
The Festival picks up again on June 14 at the Sawtooth Botanical Garden (SBG) for Pride in the Garden Prom: Enchanted Garden 5:30 - 9 pm. Doghaus performs live showcasing traditional 70’s Pride tunes while local Chef Esta cultivates a delicious picnic dinner, so bring your lowback chairs and blankets. A hosted bar includes beer, wine, cocktails, and non-alcoholic beverages. Fun, educational and fundraising components will delight the crowd. The June 14 event costs participants $100 and is inclusive of food, drink and entertainment. Youth participants who ned financial assistance to attend should contact SBG executive director Jen Smith at jen@sbgarden.org as a generous benefactor has underwritten youth participation at the event.
On June 15, SBG teams up with Sun Valley Resort for a free screening of They/Them: One Climber’s Story at the Sun Valley Opera House. Concessions are availble for purchase. According to Patagonia, the film’s producer, “They/Them follows Lor, a trans climber, into the sandstone canyons of norhtern Arizona, on a journey to piece together one of the hardest and most inspiring routes of their life. By embracing the strength in vulnerability, Lor has found the space to thrive and build a climbing community that others like themselves can call home.” The film is co-directed by Blake McCord and Justin Clifton. Grab dinner beforehand with friends or a date. Movie starts at 7:00pm. “Building a community that is respectful, kind and open to all is important to us as Sun Valley Resort. We are thrilled to partner with the Sawtooth Botanical Garden on these events,” said Pete Sonntag, Vice President and General Manager of Sun Valley Resort.
The party moves south to Hailey for a 21 and older Drag Show at The Mint on Friday, June 16. The show begins upstairs at The Mint at 7:00pm, so you can grab dinner at Cuisine Wanderer downstairs before the show. Show entry cost is $40 and seating is limited.
Finally, shake out those cobwebs for the Pride Ride bike parade starting at 11:00 AM on Saturday, June 17. Parade participants are encouraged to bring their wheeled transportation and your most colorful costumes for this free event that includes tacos and sodas at Despo’s in Ketchum. Find the beginning of the route starting at 10:00 at River Run Upper Parking lot, where you can put the final touches on your ride. Check SunValley.com for details closer to the 17th.
Festivities will conclude in Hailey at The Mint on Saturday evening for Drag Bingo star ting at 5:00 pm. Your first bingo card costs $30 and each addtional card is $20. Drinks and food are available for purchase.
All proceeds from the Festival benefit diversity, equity, and inclusion programming and services and general operations at the Sawtooth Botanical Garden where we “celebrate plants and inspire people!” The Sawtooth Botanical Garden’s executive director, Jen Smith, stated, “Our team’s vision is to welcome the LGBTQ+ community and our allies to celebrate diversity and inclusion throughout the valley during Pride Month, so we are thrilled to add Cuisine Wanderer at The Mint, and Independent Goods in Ketchum to our growing list of venues and supporters. We hope that participants will especially appreciate what will be fun and thoughtful educational components of the Pride in the Garden Festival.”
Please visit sbgarden.org or call 208-726-9358 for information and tickets.
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The Sawtooth Botanical Garden is a community resource showcasing na tive and cul tivated plants that flourish at high al titude. The Garden connects people to the region’s unique beauty and fosters environmental stewardship through educa tion, events, displays, and plant collections.
Sun Valley Resort was founded in 1936 as America’s first destination ski resort. Located in the Idaho mountains, it is truly a four-season resort with a wide array of activities. Outdoor adventure enthusiasts enjoy world-class skiing, snowboarding, skating, hiking, biking, golfing, fishing, shooting, concerts, shopping, restaurants, and conferences, and special event space. Sun Valley is a member of The Grand America Hotels & Resorts family. Sister properties include Snowbasin Ski Resort (Huntsville, Utah), The Grand America Hotel, Little America Hotel (Salt Lake City, Utah); The Westgate Hotel, San Diego, Calif.; Little America Flagstaff, Ariz.; Little America, Wyo., and Little America, Cheyenne, Wyo.
Sun Valley is served by Hailey's Friedman Memorial Airport (SUN). The airport is located 14 miles from the resort and is easily accessed from six major cities: San Francisco (SFO), Seattle (SEA), Los Angeles (LAX), Salt Lake City (SLC), Denver (DEN), and Chicago (ORD). All Sun Valley Resort guests receive complimentary roundtrip airport transportation. www.sunvalley.com | 800.786.8259 | @sunvalley | #sunvalley
Media Contacts:
Maria Brickman | mbrickman@sunvalley.com
Jen Smith | jen@sbgarden.org