A stroll down Main Street in Picton, Ontario, on a summer day is reminiscent of small-town U.S.A. romanticized in movies about the 1950s. Sidewalks are lined with mom-and-pop shops, while families with toddlers and strollers savor ice cream fromSlickers County Ice Cream – though the artisanal flavors like Campfire Cream and Rhubarb Ginger are distinctly modern. But upon closer look, the small town that sits on Lake Ontario’s north shore, about 99 miles east of Toronto, feels more like the kind of place Canadian Schitt’s Creek creator Dan Levy imagined in that Emmy-winning series of a place free from homophobia.
It’s just a few days before Toronto Pride in late June 2024, and the hamlet I visited – along with two other queer journalists and our guide – was pristinely curated for Pride.Books & Company, a few doors down from the recently restoredThe Royal Hotel, where our group of four stayed, featured titles by queer authors in its window. Main Street’s vintage jewelry and vinyl record store,Lustre & Tarnish, highlighted LGBTQ+ musicians in its storefront. A few rainbows were painted on the sidewalks, while an alley near The Royal was adorned with Pride umbrellas like an even gayer Singin’ in the Rain. During my two-day stay in Prince Edward County (PEC) before heading to Toronto Pride, I felt its pull, so I added it to my expanding dream places to live.
Closson Chase Vineyard in Hiller, OntarioCourtesy Tracy E. Gilchrist
Following a drive from Toronto Pearson International Airport with our group, we turned in early at The Royal where I admired my in-room fireplace from the welcoming bed before falling into a refreshing slumber far from my city life in Los Angeles.
Our first full day began with a drive to Bloomfield in PEC for a tour of theOeno Gallery, “a Rainbow Registered 2SLGBTQI+ friendly business,” with a sprawling, immersive sculpture garden. A bowl of rainbow flag pins sat on a table at the entrance to the fine art gallery and garden, which are free to the public. Since the gallery sits onHuff Estates Winery and Inn, we strolled over to the tasting room with its view of the bucolic vineyard for a mid-morning wine tasting.
For lunch, we motored down country roads to the town of Hiller to visitClosson Chase Vineyards, instantly recognizable from the cavernous – and very gay – purple barn that serves as the entrance to the winery. Tables for the winery’s on-site restaurant,Bantam Farmhouse, provided a spectacular view of the vineyard.
Before returning to The Royal, we stopped atOld Salt Cocktails, a roadside bar housed in a trailer where visitors can play outdoor games like cornhole while savoring artisanal drinks created by owner David Banks, like the Aperol Betty or the rum-based Flight Path. When I told Banks I felt like I could live in PEC with its no-homophobia vibe, he cheerily offered to introduce me to his lesbian friends should I make the leap.
Roadside bar Old Salt CocktailsCourtesy Tracy E. Gilchrist
Dinner at The Royal’s farm-to-table restaurant, where we met Chef Alberto Ponzo, preceded a sunset pontoon ride on Lake Ontario, where drizzle and more than a few outsized spiders stowed away, causing me to use our guide as a shield from the harmless if hairy arachnids.
On our way out of Picton, we touredBase 31, a historic World War II air training base that is now a booming cultural center and home to art galleries, live music, upscale food stands, and more. As we sped around the grounds on a golf cart, I noted the Progress flag flying on a pole beside a traditional military barracks.
Toronto hosts one of the largest Pride parades in the world with Trans and Dyke Marches in the lead-up to Sunday’s big queer denouement; the city’s LGBTQ+ community center, the519, anchored the festivities. Our Pride kicked off Thursday with a Sasha Colby meet-and-greet followed by her performance in Barbara Hall Park, where queer artists performed throughout the weekend. The park, just beside the 519 in Toronto’s LGBTQ+ neighborhood off Church Street, houses the city’s AIDS memorial.
The author (left) and Sasha Colby (right) at the Toronto Pride meet and greet kickoffCourtesy Meet and Greet
Following dinner atLao Lao Bar, a culinary feast of Laotian food and culture, I strolled up Church Street, where vendors had erected tents for the duration of Pride. Revelers spilled out along the street, several who were fully nude, which is illegal at Pride events in the U.S. There was also no entrance fee, a welcome change from Los Angeles-area Pride festivals.
Away from the bustle of Pride, but just a 15-minute walk from the center of activity, I enjoyed the modHilton Canopy, complete with a heated toilet seat and bidet, and centralized lighting and temperature control.
A short ferry ride took us toHanlan’s Point, one of three islands that compriseToronto Island Park, where we picnicked with artist Travis Meyers beside the Rainbow Road. Stretching at 2,000 feet, it’s the world’s longest rainbow road, one Meyers created. En route, we passed theMermaid Café. Local legend says that it’s the one featured in Joni Mitchell’s song “Carey,” a tidbit that appealed to my inner lesbian, even if it’s just a rumor.
The author at Toronto Pride 2024Courtesy Tracy E. Gilchrist
Ahead of the big parade, I checked out the Sapphic Candy Land Party, featuring several pools, a fun departure for a lesbian accustomed to L.A.’s primarily gay male-centric pool parties, although I declined to get wet this time. Drag brunch atO’Grady’s marked my first communal performance of Chappell Roan’s “Hot to Go” hand gestures. Later that night, our group enjoyed a final meal together atLa Bartola on College Street, a plant-based restaurant inspired by authentic Mexican flavors.
Closing out the weekend, the Pride Parade set off at 2 p.m. on Sunday with more than 270 organizations stepping off on Toronto’s Bloor Street and marching up Yonge. From drag queens to sports clubs and local businesses, the city’s community marched on for nearly three and a half hours before pro-Palestinian protesters from the Coalition Against Pinkwashing caused the parade to shutter after demanding Pride Toronto divest from corporations that support Israel.
Closson Chase Vineyard in Hiller, OntarioCourtesy Tracy E. Gilchrist
From the idyll of PEC with its overall embracing of queer culture to the distinctly political, freeing sensibility of Toronto Pride, I returned home with a renewed commitment to being as outwardly queer as possible. No homophobia indeed.
This press trip was funded byDestination Toronto andDestination Ontario.
