Grant Hindsley, Daily Herald file photo
Spencer Carter wears a Pride flag during the Provo Pride Festival at Memorial Park in Provo on Saturday, Sept. 19, 2015.
On Tuesday evening, the Facebook account for the Provo Pride festival changed its banner, announcing that the event had been canceled. The event was scheduled to take place Saturday at Memorial Park in Provo after a two-year hiatus due to COVID-19.
“I’m sad to have to let you know that we have canceled the festival. Thank you everyone for your support of Provo Pride and your advocacy for the LGBTQ+ community here in Utah County,” reads the Facebook post. “If you donated or paid booth fees those funds will be sent back starting today. Love to all, and sorry we weren’t able to make the festival happen.”
According to Tay Adams, organizer for the festival, the cancellation was a financial decision.
“It was a funding issue. The last time we did the festival was in 2019 and some of the things we’re required to have doubled in price,” Adams said.
Adams told the Daily Herald that they would have needed around $13,000 to host the festival and had received $3,000 in donations and sponsorships. Adams specifically mentioned increased costs in sanitation — which more than doubled in price.
There had also been major donations that were previously relied on to hold the festival which didn’t come through this year, according to Adams.
While it could have been possible to continue trying to raise the money and push forward, Adams said, they felt it was “wiser and kinder” to the public to cancel the event.
While a make-up date was not announced, Adams and the group are continuing to discuss when Provo Pride could be held again in the future, adding it would be unlikely to happen in 2022.
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