Denver PrideFest Launches New Sustainability Initiatives

Partnerships with Southwest Airlines and Pattie Gonia will support recycling and education efforts.

DENVER, CO – Denver PrideFest will go green with the launch of new sustainability initiatives for the festival’s 50th anniversary. Thanks to sustainability sponsor Southwest Airlines, the festival will add 150 recycling bins on-site with the goal of reaching 50 percent waste diversion.

Past festivals have left Civic Center Park clean and in good condition as part of Denver PrideFest’s ‘Leave No Trace’ policies. New this year, every trash can at PrideFest will be paired with a recycling bin to increase waste diversion. A Green Team of volunteers and staff will focus on education, awareness and creating a clean stream of material to be recycled after the event.

To encourage sustainability during the event and after, Denver PrideFest will partner with environmentalist and drag queen Pattie Gonia to develop sustainability education content for social media and the Denver Pride website. Pattie Gonia will also perform on Center Stage as a headliner and encourage attendees to recycle through on-site stage announcements.

“Partnering with Southwest Airlines and Pattie Gonia represents a significant step forward in Denver PrideFest’s ongoing efforts to reduce waste and increase sustainability,” said Rex Fuller, CEO of The Center on Colfax. “These collaborations allow us to make a greener festival experience a reality, resulting in a positive impact in our community.”

Additional waste reduction initiatives include:

  • Water trailers on-site to fill reusable water bottles and cut down on the number of single-use plastic bottles
  • Utilizing reusable cups (rcups) in the VIP area for all mixed drinks
  • Moving toward serving drinks in recyclable aluminum cans
  • Requiring food vendors to supply recyclable containers for their product

How You Can Help Us Make Pride Green

Please bring a reusable water bottle to reduce waste. Review the festival map for refill stations available to keep you refreshed.

Plan your trip to PrideFest by choosing eco-friendly transportation options. Consider biking, taking public transit, or using rideshare services and carpool to reduce your carbon footprint.

Public Transit

Civic Center Park is located just a block from RTD’s Civic Center Station, which is easily accessible on the 16th Street FREE MallRide. In addition, the following RTD buses have routes that stop near the park: 0, 15, 15L, 16, 52.

Riding A Bike

Civic Center Park is at the intersection of many downtown Denver biking routes.  There are bike racks available near the park at the McNichols Civic Center Building, Wellington Webb Building, Denver Art Museum and Denver Public Library. To explore Denver’s Bike Map, click here.

(source CivicCenterPark.org/visit)

Help us keep PrideFest spotless. See litter? Even if it’s not yours, lend a hand and pick it up. Together, we can keep our festival green and clean!