The Blue Mountains Pride weekend event includes art, nature, dance, food, social and more. All amongst the beautiful scenery of the Blue Mountains.
The Blue Mountains are justifiably world-famous. And it’s not just those World Heritage-listed landscapes that draw people back. Grand gardens, fabulous food (much of it with equally fabulous views), crisp mountain air, heritage hotels, galleries and artisans, and a string of townships each with their own charm.
Blue Mountains Pride has lots of fabulous events packed into the weekend calendar that will keep you busy but still allow you time to take in the stunning views, go shopping in our beautiful villages, or spend some time in nature.
It is usually cold in the Blue Mountains in June, so this is also an opportunity for you to wear those winter woolies and enjoy snuggling in front of a crackling fire.
bentART
Exhibition Opening Times 10am to 5pm 7 to 14 June, 10am to 2pm 15 June
This is a special year for bentART as they are celebrating 20 years. The exhibition on the main drag of Katoomba is well worth a visit. Stop for lunch in a local café. bentART is a national art prize which was established in the Blue Mountains in 2005 to celebrate works in the visual arts of Australian lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, intersex, queer, asexual and other sexually or gender diverse (LGBTIQA+) artists. Their 20th Anniversary exhibition offers a bigger prize pool than previous years.
GLBTQ+ Bushwalk
10am, Saturday 7 June Ngula Bulgarabang Regional Park
Join Blue Mountains Pride for a bushwalk as part of the Kings Birthday weekend festivities! Hosted by Bush Lemons. All welcome (including dogs on leads)! We will walk the old fire trails and tracks at Ngula Bulgarabang Regional Park, just outside Katoomba, and end up at the Megalong Head Lookout for morning tea, with it’s beautiful views over the Megalong Valley. The fire trails make this easy walking and there is a short but fairly easy walk down a single file track to the lookout. All up the walk will be about 6km.
Meet: 10am on Saturday, 7 June, at the locked gate at the end of Pulpit Hill Road (turn off the highway at the Explorers Tree). Bring: Some drinking water, a snack for morning tea, appropriate footwear. And please, wear your rainbow finery! Scarves, feather boas, shimmery shorts etc!!
It’s a good idea to book in for the walk in case it gets cancelled or changed due to the weather: Jocelyn bushscout@bigpond or 0414 572991
This will be a nice leisurely walk so you will still have enough energy to visit the Bent Art Exhibition in Katoomba afterwards, and also to boogie the night away at the Three Sisters Blackheath Disco on Saturday night!
Blackheath Disco
7pm to midnight, Saturday 8 June
The Blackheath Disco is Back! Dj sh0rty will again be getting you dancing and keeping you on the floor with tunes from the disco greats through to the current hits. Dj sh0rty has been spinning the discs for us at The Disco for many years. He has also played at many other events including during Mardi Gras and World Pride.
Denise Hanlon is an award-winning singer, a professional comedienne and an experienced emcee. The great thing is – she can do all 3 at once! A talented singer, it just wouldn’t be Denise if her singing wasn’t interspersed with her colourful costume, quick one-liners and often involuntary audience participation. Denise will be bringing us two great shows. Tickets are $35+bf online and $45 at the door.
The Blackheath Disco I sold out last year, so buy your tickets early. The event is BYO: bring your own drink, bring your own banquet, bring your own dancing shoes. The snack bar will have water, soft drinks and snacks available. Trans and Gender Diverse Community will be running a cloakroom for a gold coin donation. The event is an LGBTQIA+ safe space.
Clothes Swap
Trans and Gender Diverse Blue Mountains 10:30am to 3pm, Sunday 8 June Mid Mountains Community Centre, Lawson
Young Frankenstein
Sunday 8 June Session time to be announced Mount Vic Flicks, Mt Victoria
Make Sunday a Science Fiction Double Feature, starting with Young Frankenstein and then joining the Three Sister Social Group around the corner at Thriller the Soirée.
Thriller the Soirée
Three Sisters Social Group 5pm to 9pm, Sunday 8 June Victoria and Albert Guesthouse, Mt Victoria
The event to end all events. A little too dramatic? Perhaps, but Thriller the Soirée is the final event of our Kings Birthday Blue Mountains Pride Long Weekend.
Earlybird tickets are $99+bf and available until 30 April. Full price $109+bf.
