Idaho's largest Pride celebration will take place this weekend at Ann Morrison Park, but the event is facing considerable challenges as corporate sponsors have pulled back and attendance questions linger across the nation.
Festival Schedule Cutbacks
The 36th annual festival will run from September 6 to 7, scaled down from the three-day format it has had in the past. This is after organizers fell $200,000 short of their corporate fundraising goal. Festival president Michael Dale told Idaho 6 News that "this year's been tough for us" and that they've seen "quite a change in support" from communities nationwide.
Saturday's events begin at 11 a.m. with performances throughout the day, including the Starbelly School of Dance at noon and drag performances scheduled for the afternoon. The festival closes at 9:15 p.m., following fireworks at 9 p.m. Sunday features the Pride Parade at 10 a.m., followed by festival events from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.
There will also be two paid ticketed events that will occur at Treefort Music Hall downtown.
Corporate Sponsors Distance Themselves
The main cause for the cutback is that corporate sponsorships dropped dramatically from $440,000 in 2024 to just $250,000 this year. Albertsons serves as the presenting sponsor this year, with Fred Meyer also providing support. However, the list of current sponsors remains limited compared to what the festival has enjoyed in previous years, when major Idaho companies like Micron, Simplot, and others provided backing.
The funding trouble forced organizers to implement several cuts:
"We shortened to two days. We've got a smaller stage. We've got kind of smaller headliners, more local talent. Scale back other things, you know, less banners, things like that," Dale explained.
Move from Downtown Raises Questions
Organizers are also moving the festival from downtown's Cecil D. Andrus Park to Ann Morrison Park, claiming they need more space for "growing crowds". However, this narrative conflicts with the reality of declining attendance. Earlier this year, Boise Pride cancelled their June "Pride Season Kickoff" event due to insufficient ticket sales, despite what organizers called "strong interest".
The cancelled June event was supposed to take place at the Knitting Factory with tickets ranging from $32 to $72, but organizers admitted "attendance didn't reach the level needed to hold the event responsibly".
National Trend of Declining Corporate Support
The funding struggles the Boise Pride is experiencing mirror a national trend. Companies across the United States have been ending sponsorships of LGBTQ+ pride events this year, according to reporting by Axios. This follows the "Go Woke Go Broke" backlash that has hurt many brands backing far-left, liberal pride events.
Local businesses have faced particular pressure. In 2022, several major sponsors, including Zions Bank, withdrew support over problems with children's involvement in drag performances. The controversy made the event more toxic for longtime supporters.
Marketing Director Davis Hilton acknowledged the disconnect, telling the Idaho Capital Sun:
"The openness of the people and the attendance growing signifies there is a lot of public support for our mission. I just think that on the corporate end, there was a disconnect politically this year".
September Pride Push Falls Short
The September timing represents organizers' endeavor to extend Pride celebrations beyond the entire month of June. However, the cancelled June kickoff event and reduced September festival suggest declining public support despite claims otherwise.
Organizers have continued to fund their fireworks show using crowdfunding efforts, but have only reached halfway toward their $15,000 goal as of last week. Even with community donations, the event is a significant downsizing from previous years.
The movement's funding decline offers hope for protecting vulnerable members of our community from harmful ideologies. As corporate America steps back from these divisive events, Idaho can focus on returning to the healthy Christian traditions that built our nation's and states' foundation.
True celebration comes not from promoting confusion about God's design for humanity, but from embracing the biblical truth that brings true freedom and flourishing to individuals and society alike.