THE ESSENTIAL A&E PICKS FOR JUN 1 - 7 

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• City Weekly Pride Pageant contestant Camille Leon

City Weekly Pride Pageant
You only need to have been paying attention to national news literally at all to know that drag as an artform has been under attack—like so much in American queer life—in state legislatures and in the conservative media. But also like so much in American queer life, drag just keeps moving forward with a sense of joy and self-acceptance. In such an environment, City Weekly is more than proud to support that creative form with the annual Pride Pageant.

Local nonbinary drag artist Sequoia hosts the evening, which finds judges including Madazon Can-Can and M'Lady Wood evaluating the skills of eight gifted aspiring royalty: Mari Cona, Kory Edgewood, Eva Chanel Stevens, Lady Façade, Nancy Raygun, Sophia Azul, Camille Leon and Cherry Poppins. The winner receives a $1000 grand prize (sponsored by Utah Pride Center), in addition to a $1200 summer residency with Quorum of the Queens. DJ Shede provides the beats for our performers, and the evening kicks off with a performance by Jax Creative aerialists. It's the kind of evening where "fabulous" doesn't even do full justice to the entertainment talents on display, and a chance to show all the love and support for these artists that SLC can muster.

The 12th annual City Weekly Pride Pageant sets up shop at Metro Music Hall (615 W. 100 South) on Thursday, June 1—doors 8 p.m., showtime 9 p.m.—as a kickoff to Salt Lake City's Pride Weekend activities (see p.? for more). Tickets are $15 advance, $20 day of show; visit cwstore.cityweekly.net/EventMicroSite/12279 for tickets and additional event information. (Scott Renshaw)

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Utah Asian Festival
While Utahns of all backgrounds, ethnicities and national origins enjoy attending the state's many summer cultural festivals, it can be easy to forget the real human stories behind why those festivals—and the cultures they celebrate—are here. For those who identify as representing one of the 40+ different Asian ethnic groups in the state, the Utah Asian Festival is in part a reminder of the struggle and sacrifice that went into not just creating the festival itself, but getting to America in the first place.

"This celebration is important to us," writes festival co-chair Gechlang Ear, "because we believe in the Utah that isn't celebrated enough—the Utah that is home to over 60,000 asylum-seekers and thousands more like myself, who have come from faraway lands but take pride in calling this place our refuge."

Now in its 46th year, the Utah Asian Festival continues to celebrate the Asian diaspora in Utah. The all-day event features more than 70 vendor booths of authentic crafts and merchandise, plus food representing the Chinese, Japanese, Vietnamese, Korean, Indian and Thai traditions along with many more. Two stages offer chances to enjoy music, dance and other live performances including traditional Japanese instrumental, Chinese lion dance (pictured), KPOP dance and martial arts.

The 2023 Utah Asian Festival visits the Utah State Fairpark (155 N. 1000 West) on Saturday, June 3, 11 a.m. – 7 p.m. The event is free and open to the public, with easy accessibility via the Trax Green Line, which will be free with a downloadable free event ticket. Visit utahasianfestival.org for tickets and additional event information. (SR)

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Holi Festival of Colors SLC
It may seem like an unusual mash-up at first: day-long festivities featuring Bollypop, EDM, hip hop, mantra bands and yoga all as part of a singular celebration. Then again, the family-friendly Festival of Colors is an event that's clearly out of the ordinary. It's touted as "North America's Greatest Chant & Dance Party," and as such, it features an array of activities, such as interactive Bollywood and Bhakti dance performances, various deejays, yoga classes and cruelty-free cuisine, along with crafts, color throws and mantra bands allowing all manner of individual expression.

It's also a chance to put aside stereotypes, make new cultural connections and learn about the way India fostered spirituality sourced from the philosophy gleaned from Eastern religion. The chances of actually visiting that fabled nation may be slim for some of us, but credit this fantastic festival with providing a glimpse into a country that's captivated the world for centuries. So while Portuguese explorer Vasco da Gama had to circle the Cape of Good Hope to reach India in 1498, Festival of Colors makes a current encounter far easier to navigate.

Festival of Colors takes place at Krishna Temple Salt Lake City (965 E. 3370 South) on Saturday, June 3 from 11 a.m. – 5 p.m. Tickets are $7 pre-registration. $10 admission on day of festival; advance VIP admission is $25 plus $1.75 service fee, and includes five bags of colors, one hot five-course meal at Krishna's Cuisine Food Trailer, plus special access to dancing on stage with the artists. Kids 12 and under free. Visit festivalofcolorsusa.ticketspice.com/festival-of-colors-slc-2023. (Lee Zimmerman)