Perth Voice Interactive

PRIDE fairday will move back to its old home of Hyde Park this weekend.

The fairday’s been around for 20 years as a more laidback event in the Pride calendar, but after 11 years at Russell Square it’s moving back to Hyde Park.

Pride co-president Daniel Smith says it moved partly because the fairday no longer has a bar.

With liquor licensing laws getting tougher, in recent years the organisers fenced the bar off: “It divided it into two events, and you had lonely stall areas,” he says.

Now it’s moving back to a more open format, and people can BYO a bottle of wine if they’re after a tipple.

“Russell Square’s been great and we’ve appreciated the support of the City of Perth to have it there for 11 years, but it’s time for a change and people are excited about going back to Hyde Park,” he says.

Along with 44 stalls run by or catering to LGBT people, there’ll be drag queens, a dog show, a children’s play area and music from Sun City and Sarah Pellicano.

They’ve also moved the date: In previous years it had been paired in the same month as the parade, but Mr Smith says “Perth’s weather in spring is very unpredictable: We’ve had fairdays suffering rain that ruins the day. Having those large events through the spring months is risky.”

It all kicks off at Hyde Park this Sunday February 16, 11am to 6pm, $5 entry (but free for children under 16 and Pride members).