Pride Fest is a locally-organized gay pride

Gay pride

LGBT pride or gay pride is the concept that lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender people should be proud of their sexual orientation and gender identity...

 celebration held in Bismarck, North Dakota

Bismarck, North Dakota

Bismarck is the capital of the U.S. state of North Dakota and the county seat of Burleigh County. It is the second most populous city in North Dakota after Fargo. The city's population was 61,272 at the 2010 census, while its metropolitan population was 108,779...

 and Mandan, North Dakota

Mandan, North Dakota

As of the census of 2000, there were 16,718 people, 6,647 households, and 4,553 families residing in the city. The population density was 1,642.8 per square mile . There were 6,958 housing units at an average density of 683.7 per square mile...

. The three-day event is held in mid-summer, usually in a public park. The first Pride Fest was held in 2004.

Unlike other, larger pride events, the Pride Fest does not include a parade or other large scale events, but continues the trend of smaller, more personal pride events in cities with noticeable, but not large, gay populations.

Individual events at the Pride Fest include karaoke, a dance, information booths, and a Pride Fest Program Event, featuring awards and entertainment. The Bismarck-Mandan Unitarian Universalist Fellowship was awarded the 2005 Pride Award.

PrideFest 2008 will be held at Eagles Park July 24-27, 2008.