1977: 50 people attended the June 28th celebration at Himmel Park coordinated by the Tucson Gay Coalition.

1978: June 25th celebration at Himmel Park. Ric Wilson, coordinator. Tucson’s four gay bars the Back-Pocket-Joshua Tree, Jekyll’s, The Graduate, and Hair Tiz each donated 1 keg of beer for the 2nd Annual Festival.

1979: June 24th celebration at Himmel Park. 700 people in attendance. The event was covered by all three tv stations and local newspapers. The fundamentalist group, The Door, protested at a distance.

1980: 2000 people attended the Festival at Himmel Park. Total Expenses: $382.30

1981: June 21st  (Held one week early due to Phoenix Pride Parade). 1,000 people in attendance. The Festival was coordinated by the Tucson Gay Pride Planning Committee.

1982: No record

1983: June 27th at Himmel Park. 1,000 people in attendance.

1984: 1,200 people attended the Festival at Himmel Park. Vice-Mayor Tom Volgy spoke at the Festival. Kim Hunter, the first openly gay delegate from Arizona to the DNC, attended.

1985: June 23rd at Himmel Park. 1,500 people in attendance.

1986: June 22nd. 2,000 people attended. A minute of silence was embraced acknowledging members of the community who were murdered or who had died of other causes. Senatorial candidate Richard Kimball spoke to the crowd- a first in Tucson Pride Festivals.

1987: June 21st at Himmel Park. 2,000 people in attendance. Mayoral candidate Tom Volgy spoke. The beginning of Queen of Gay Pride, fundraising by drag queen Minerva.

1988: June 19th at Himmel Park. 3,500 people attended. The first proclamation from the Mayor, Tom Volgy, (a first for Tucson and the southwest). TLGPC changes name to the Tucson Lesbian and Gay Alliance (TLGA).

1989: June 25th at Himmel Park. Nearly 5,000 people in attendance. 21 booths. Fiesta de Mayo King and Queen candidates raise over $7,000 in donations, totally funding the Festival through their efforts.

1990: June 24th at Himmel Park. 6,000 people attended. 46 booths. City Councilman George Miller read the proclamation.

1991: June 23rd at Himmel Park. Reported 9,000 people in attendance. 46 booths. Mayoral candidate stated to bring up a domestic partner bill before the city that would be patterned after San Francisco.

1992: June 21st at Himmel Park. Reported 10,000 people in attendance. TLGA co-chair, Jack Stockslager, called for a boycott against AM/PM for firing a gay employee. Because of the city’s ordinance protecting Gays and Lesbians, the prosecutor brought the case before the hearing officer who favored Atlantic Richfield Co., owner of AM/PM.

1993: June 20th at Himmel Park. Reported 7,500-8,000 people in attendance. 60 booths. Controversy abounded. Stockslager told the crowd that “there are some people or some organization that did not want us to be here today. At the very last minute, the Tucson Police Department and the State Board of Liquor Control was influenced and tried to deny us our permit to be here today and to give away free beer. I say something is wrong here. This is a city park. We are citizens of this city. We pay for this park with our taxes, we pay for the city employees, we pay for the state government.”

1994: The Festival moved to Reid Park. October 8th. George Miller read the proclamation. 50 booths, one of which was the first-ever Tucson Police Department recruiting booth.

1995: October 14th, Reid Park. The official name of the Festival became “OUToberFEST”. 5,000 people in attendance at the Festival’s peak.

1996: October 19th, Reid Park. 6,100 people in attendance. King and Queen contestants raised over $3,000 in donations. First time that beer is sold at the Festival (with some criticism) which helped raise over $10,000 with $2,000 given back to the health and education organizations in Tucson.

1997: October 18th, Reid Park. 6,800 people in attendance. First year of the infamous HNRG dance tent. $2,845 in proceeds given back to the Tucson community. Pima County successfully defended and passed domestic partner benefits for Pima County employees.

1998: October 17th, Reid Park. 7,100 people in attendance. A moment of silence for Matthew Shepard and other victims of hate crimes. Mayor Miller spearheads the formation of a commission for LGBT issues. $3,310 in proceeds donated back to the Tucson community. TLGA receives its first grant of $1,000 from the Community Foundation.

1999: October 16th, Reid Park. 7,500 people in attendance. $3,200 in proceeds donated back to the Tucson community. CeCe Peniston was the year’s headliner.

2000: TLGA hosts a two day conference fpr Pride organizers from Arizona, California, Nevada, Hawaii, and the country of Mexico. TLGA becomes the official producer of Gay West at Old Tucson Studios with $12,000 in proceeds donated back to the LGBT community. OUToberFEST moves to it’s new and current location at the DeMeester Outdoor Performance Center in Reid Park. OUToberFEST becomes Tucson’s largest one-day event within the city limits. Over 8,000 people in attendance.

2001: Gate donations top $15,000 in much needed revenue. Gay West celebrated its 5th year at Old Tucson Studios with $12,000 in proceeds donated back to the GLBT community. Attendance at OUToberFEST about 8,000. Tragedy strikes the world on September 11,  just one month before annual festival.

2002: TLGA changes its name to Tucson Pride, Inc. to better reflect the mission of the organization. Pride Week is greatly expanded with 10 days of non-stop events. Gay West 6 increases attendance with headliner Thelma Houston. The Richard Heakin Memorial Committee, with TPI as fiscal agent, raised $5,000 to purchase a granite stone memorial and bench to be installed at City Hall, in memory of Richard Heakin. Tucson Pride, in collaboration with the City of Tucson commission on GLBT issues, conduct a comprehensive survey of Festival attendees.

2003: “Peace through Pride!” Tucson Pride, Inc expands this year’s events to include Gay Wet, held at Breaker’s Water Park. Tucson Pride also partners with Old Tucson Studios to produce this year’s Gay West, featuring both Joan Jett and the Motels. The event is a huge success. Gate donations raised $19,562. OUToberFEST event cost: $58,370. Attendance for the event is about 5,500.

2004: “Everyone Under the Sun!” Tucson Pride changes the Gay West event from Old Tucson Studios to the “Ladies of the Temple” drag show event. Pride Week events consolidated slightly. This year’s OUToberFEST has more vendors than ever. TPI supports Pride on Parade for a second day of Pride celebrations.

2005: Brought back Gay Wet at Breaker’s Water Park featuring DJ Kio Kio and Niki Harris, former back-up dancer with Madonna. Expanded OUToberFEST to 4 venues including 2 dance, 1 drag, and a main stage of both local and national entertainers.

2006: October 14th. “Stand Together: For Equality, With Pride, In Action”. Arizona becomes one of the first states to defeat a controversial proposition which would ban domestic partner benefits for both members of the GLBT community as well as unmarried heterosexuals. Tucson Pride introduces Splash Bash, an event to take the place of Gay Wet. Changed name of yearly Festival from OUToberFEST to Pride in the Desert. Across the board, one of TPI’s most successful years ever with increased sponsorship and exhibitor donations. More than 4,000 people in attendance at Pride in the Desert.

2007: October 13th. Pride in the Desert turns 30!!! More than 6,000 people come out to celebrate TPI's 30th Anniversary! Entertainers include: Gregory Douglass; season 2 American Idol finalist Kimberley Locke; and recently reunited 80s girl group Expose. Pride on Parade moves to the same day as the Festival and officially kicks-off the day’s activities. Pride Week returns and is greatly expanded.

 

2008: October 18th. More than 6,000 people celebrate Pride in the Desert. Mainstage headliners include Eric Himan, Gregory Douglass, God-des & She and American Idol contestant Kimberly Caldwell. Pride on Parade Grand Marshal Nina Trasoff kicks off the festivities in style!