Raising funds for programs and services of the Southern Arizona AIDS Foundation
The first Moda Provacateur, held in 2004, was created by Kevin Casey from Avalon for Hair, Skin and Nails after he participated in ‘Crème de la Do’ in 2003, a fashion and style show organized by an agency in Albuquerque helping to raise funds for local HIV/AIDS agencies around the country. Since 2004, Moda Provacateur has raised more than $141,000 in support of SAAF’s programs and services.
The incredible, continued support for Moda Provacateur from the local salons, boutiques and businesses through their participation and underwriting of the cost of the event, helps to build tradition and ultimately, the success of this exciting fundraiser.
October 9, 2015 @ 6pm – Starts at 8th St. and 4th Ave
Over the past 15 years the Tucson Pride Parade has grown to become a central part of the Tucson Gay Pride celebration. 2014 promises to take the event to the next level! Pride on Parade will begin at Catalina Park on 2nd St. at 6:00 PM on Saturday, October 11th. We will proceed to 4th ave. and take a right, leading to our destination on 4th and 8th St.
The most important thing is to get involved. The focus of Pride on Parade is to allow everyone to be themselves, some come have a blast with us at the block party at the end of the parade!
Thats right, this year the Tucson Pride Parade has joined with Sky Bar to provide a Block Party from 7pm to 10pm. It’ll be the best place to grab a drink after the long parade march ; )
Pride In The Desert 2015
October 16, 2015 @ 12pm – Kino Sports Complex
Tucson Pride presents its 38th Annual LGBTQ Pride Festival . $50. VIP. Advance tickets can be bought on-line at http://tucsonpride.org/ Advance purchase tickets can be picked up at the will-call table at the entrance on the day of the event.
Pride 2015 After-Party
October 16th, 2015 @ 8pm – PlayGround Lounge
Come to the office Tucson Pride After-Party hosted by PlayGround Lounge. Enjoy the night on Tucson’s Largest Outdoor Bar Patio with great friends and custom Pride-Inspired cocktails.
Turnabout for TIHAN is always a blast! Tucson’s LGBTQ, gay-friendly businesses, and non-profits all come together and put on a show for the community to help those in need living with HIV and Aids. Tempest Dujour and Janee Starr usually host the event and will have you laughing til your socks come off.
If you would like to contribute, you can be a sponsor for the Turnabout event. We try and sponsor a table ever year!
Remember, even if you miss this event, TIHAN always accepts donations throughout the year. These donations help to continue providing services in support of those living with HIV and AIDS. Also, not all donations to TIHAN need to be in the form of money. Donations of time, expertise, or materials will work just as fine.
SAAF Jello Wrestling has grown to become one of Tucson’s most anticipated yearly events! From the glamorous costumes to the hilarious personas, you’re going to love the pageantry and air of theatre that pervades the entire event.
However, once the competitors are in the green ooze, then you truly see the captivating spectacle for what it is. It’s friends and lovers, in the spirit of teamwork and competition, locked in intense combat. It’s that raw, animalistic spirit that animates the entire event and makes SAAF’s Jello Wrestling such a wonderful thing to do in Tucson!
How Jello Wrestling Came to Tucson
This is the tale of Reno Gannon. In 1987, while tending bar at a local watering hole entitled “Rumor Hazzitt”, he went on vacation to Mexico and came back with a fantastic fundraising event. Wrestling in vats of Jell-O!
Together with the owner of Rumor Hazzitt, they pulled together the first such event! It was a fundraiser for Shanti, an early AIDS Service Organization that merged with other local agencies to form Southern Arizona AIDS Foundation.
The tale of Reno has a tragic end, however, as this wonderful, loving man was cut down at the precocious age of 23 by the scourge of AIDS. To this day, the Jello Wrestling event remains a memorial to his legacy.
What Happens at SAAF Jello Wrestling?
SAAF Jello Wrestling is a team sport. Each team of wrestlers raises funds to wrestle during a pit of Jell-O, typically with extraordinary costumes and characters. Between wrestling matches, the Drag Diva Hostesses will run a live auction that includes a wide range of fantastic items to titillate the crowd.
Funds raised through Jell-O Wrestling assist SAAF with their awesome mission of cultivating a healthy & stigma-free society through transformative action.
How Can I Help?
Wrestling in the SAAF Jello Wrestling event is an awesome way to support the programs and services of the Southern Arizona AIDS Foundation (SAAF). All wrestlers should raise a minimum of $500 in sponsorships. With the addition of online giving through the SAAF website, raising sponsorships can be done with an email! Find Out More Here:
Not the wrestling type? Don’t worry, there are tons of volunteer opportunities at SAAF Jello Wrestling! Visit this page to choose what you’d like to do and when!
While national Pride month has come and gone we still have the 45th annual Tucson Pride to look forward to in October! Here’s a little info on the upcoming festivities and how you can get involved if you’re interested in the open entertainment call.
Pride Weekend
Kick off the weekend on Friday, September 30th with the Pride Parade. Registration will be open soon so stay tuned.
The official Pride Festival is on October 1st from 12:00-10:00 PM at the Georges DeMeester Outdoor Performance Center at Reid Park. If you’d like to be a vendor registration is now open, hurry before all the best spots are snatched up!
Pride Brunch is on Sunday at Highwire Lounge, stay tuned for details. This is a great chance to unwind from the crazy weekend’s festivities and catch up with friends you might have missed at the park. Do you know any LGBTQ people who don’t love a good brunch? Neither do we.
The Open Entertainment Call
Are you an entertainer or performer of some type? Do you enjoy the feeling of the crowd’s adoration washing over you? Well now is your chance to apply to be a part of Tucson Pride 2022. They are currently looking for bands, dancers, comedians, DJ’s, drag performers, track entertainers, and more!
If you think you’ve got what it takes you have until July 31st to get your application in. You’ll need to include a letter of interest along with video samples or links to your work for review. Now is the time to showcase your talent! Spots are limited so we encourage you to act fast. Send submissions to NancyN@TucsonPride.Org
Just visiting?
Do you have friends or family coming into town to celebrate with you? Well, Tucson Pride just announced the official hotel for this year. Make your reservations at The Graduate, located off Main Gate Square at the University of Arizona. This hotel is shiny and new with eclectic design elements that showcase the beauty of the Sonoran Desert.
We’re talking rooftop heated swimming pool, firepits, and a bar and restaurant just for starters! Yes, all of that is on the roof. You can also bring your furry family with you if you like. This is going to be the place for after-parties so book your stay now.
If you have any questions about the upcoming festivities you can send them to information@TucsonPride.Org.
What: G3 Happy Hour
When: Friday, October 11 2013 5:00 PM.
Where:V Thai, 9 East Congress, Downtown
Admission: $5 at the door includes entry, first drink of choice (including call and beer), asian-fusion appetizers, live DJ, door prizes and Tucson’s best crowd!
Official Website:www.TucsonG3.com
G3 Gay Mens Happy hour, formerly G2H2 is planning an amazing event that looks like lots of fun. I think this is the only event along and during the Pride Parade Route.
V Thai is located at 9 East Congress St. Downtown near the corner of Stone and Congress. They offer some amazing food options and there will be a live DJ, prize giveaways and Video for the event! V Thai is opening at 5PM for this event so that you have time to relax and have drinks before the parade starts at 6:00PM. The parade route passes by the front of V Thai so it is a great spot to view the festivities and party with a geat crowd.
If you have not been to V Thai before, it should be easy to find with a, 20 story high logo of G3 on the side of the building.
After 10PM. the party moves to Playground at 5th and Congress for the Playboi after party.
What:Tucson Pride
When: Saturday, October 12th 2013
Where:Kino Sports Complex. This event is NOT at the Kino Stadium but at “Soccer Field Number 2”. Turn South off Ajo onto Forgeus and drive straight South
Admission: $10.00 at the door. VIP Tickets available online at http://tucsonpride.org/.
Tucson Pride presents it’s 36th Annual LGBTQ Pride Festival . $50. VIP. Advance tickets can be bought on-line at http://tucsonpride.org/ Advance purchase tickets can be picked up at the will-call table at the entrance on the day of the event.
This Years Tucson Pride Theme is Pride 365 highlighting the Southern AZ LGBTQ communitys commitment to show our pride every day of the year.
This years Pride festival will be held at the Kino Sports Complex “South Soccer Field”. This is a large venue, features a field of cool grass and stadium lighting which will allow the revelers to party after dark. This is also a fenced county venue allowing beer,wine and yeah, spirits for the first time at a Tucson Pride Festival! So when heading out to the park this year make sure and bring your ID. 12 noon -9PM
What: Tucson AIDSWALK
When: Sunday, October 13th. 2013
Where: From Joel D. Valdez Main Library – Jácome Plaza Downtown Tucson
The 25th annual AIDSWALK is a 5k walk and a 10K fun run which is a tremendous resource for Southern Arizona which provides services such as HIV Testing ,case management, housing, food programs, medication assistance and prevention programs, .
This year the organization is looking for 2,000 walkers and hopes to raise over $150,000 in order to continue their support for programs and services by The Southern Arizona AIDS Foundation.
Please join this great organization to make this the best AIDSWALK ever October 13th. 2013 in downtown Tucson.
For more information about AIDSWALK Tucson, visit http://aidswalktucson.saaf.org/
The weekend starts off hot and wet at “Queertopia”, the pre-pride pool party hosted by the fabulous Miss Ajia Simone at the Arizona Riverpark Inn. The pool party goes from 3-10 pm on Friday, October 12, and will feature the glorious mixes of DJs RAW-B & CELLOFAME. Go-Go Dancers, Sing-Along Movie, Drink Specials & Jello Shots, Snack Bar… sounds like a blast to me. Pride also has special room rates at the Riverpark Inn… so don’t worry about composing yourself to get back home!
The Pride Parade, “Pride on Parade”, starts at 11am Saturday, October, 13th on 6th Avenue between 18th Street and 12th Street. The theme for this year’s parade is “Pride Links Us Together”. Oh… and this is exciting too… Pride in the park (known in Tucson as “Pride in the Desert”) will actually be in a park… with trees… and benches… not a ballpark! It starts after the parade at 12 pm in Armory Park.
After the park… regain your wits, grabs some food, rehydrate, and get your booty on down to Hotel Congress for the official Pride After Party “Illusion: A Fool’s Paradise”, hosted by FLUXX Productions. Party starts at 9 pm and best costume wins a prize. So think about what your best illusion is and, as Tim Gunn would say, make it work.
And if all the downtown Pride activities aren’t enough for you, then I have great news! The same weekend… downtown also… is Tucson Meet Yourself and AIDSWALK. That’s three of Tucson’s largest events… all downtown… all the same weekend. This is going to be amAAAAziiing! Check out the AIDSWALK Tucson and Tucson Meet Yourself websites for more info.
What: Tucson AIDSWALK
When: Sunday, October 13th. 2013
Where: From 