The fourth annual Winter PrideFest, a celebration of winter sports among the LGBTQ+ community and allies, is returning to one of the country’s top destinations for outdoor recreation for four days of on- and off-mountain sports and social activities, March 3-6, 2022, at Mt. Bachelor in Bend, Ore.
“Winter PrideFest was conceived as a way to bring the LGBTQ+ community together over a shared passion for outdoor recreation and winter sports, and to do so in a way that is inclusive, social, educational, and above all, fun,” said Jamie Nesbitt, president of OUT Central Oregon, which organizes the annual event. “What started as a local grassroots effort in year one has quickly evolved into an event with regional and national cache, and we think there’s no better venue to celebrate diversity and inclusivity in the outdoors than Mt. Bachelor and Bend.”
At Mt. Bachelor, Winter PrideFest will feature daily Alpine and Nordic skiing, snowboarding, and snowshoeing. In town, attendees can take part in a Welcome Snocial, Wigs Ice Skating at Seventh Mountain Resort, a panel discussion on inclusivity in the outdoors, a downtown Apres Ski Party, a Dance Party, and much more.
“We have seen attendance at Winter PrideFest increase exponentially from 150 attendees in year one, to over 700 attendees in year three, and we estimate that more than 1,000 people will be at this year’s event,” said Nesbitt. “With two-thirds of those attendees coming from outside of Central Oregon, there’s no question that Winter PrideFest has quickly established itself as a marquee winter event for the LGBTQ+ community and our allies to rally around.”
