Hello to all you sun-bathing, button-making, float-decorating, flyer-designing, flag-waving, are-you-ready-for-another-Pride-Parade enthusiasts! We'll get to that event shortly, but how insanely exciting is it that we're throwing it before the SCOTUS ruling on gay marriage, which made its way there in part from Utah's role in the matter? This weekend has the potential to be the most heavily attended and politically charged parade you've ever seen. If that isn't enough to spark the curiosity of attendance, I don't know what will. And hey, all you LOCAL NEWS NETWORKS! Will one of you finally get off your asses and broadcast this parade like we do to everything related to 1847? I don't have artwork today, instead I have a beer cocktail I drank over the weekend because the sun finally came out long enough for me to enjoy one.


Going into events, on Sunday we'll see Big Shiny Robot's Nerd Swap Meet. Much like other swap meets, but only with a geeky twist as you can bring in your action figures, DVDs, comics, video games, collectibles and other items of that ilk to trade with fellow geeks. This year's event will take place at Bohemian Brewery & Grill from 2-7 p.m., and is totally free to attend.


If that kind of trading isn't your thing, Signed & Numbered will be throwing a trading party that day at 4 p.m. Bring all your non-geeky items to this one (or hell, maybe a few of them) as people will be looking to swap out their junk for other people's junk, thereby making each item something new for their homes. This one it totally free as well and is only as wide as your imagination.


Later in the afternoon, the Geek Show Podcast will take over Brewvies for their monthly movie night. This month is extra special as it has been a year since Jeff Vice passed away, the day after last year's May movie night. Before he passed, Jeff was preparing for the next movie night but didn't get to see it happen. So in his tribute, they'll be showing those two films: the original versions of The Italian Job and Gone In 60 Seconds. Movie night is free, but the food and drink are not, the festivities kick off at 5 p.m.


On Thursday, June 4, the Utah Pride Festival kicks off. We wrote much more about the festival then you could need in this week's issue of City Weekly, including a guide to everything happening at the event. Go check that out and then join the festival for as many of their events that you can attend, especially the parade happening on June 7.


That same day, Ogden will make their first venture into weekly evening concerts with the Ogden Twilight Series. I'm not downplaying this at all, but it is exactly what you would think it is, a cheap concert series for the city of Ogden, put on by local officials. And hey, hey got a damn fine lineup, including Blonde Redhead and Purity Ring. If you want a taste of national indie music, this is definitely the festival to attend. Check out their website for full concerts.


Meanwhile that evening, up here in SLC at Club Elevate, we'll be throwing our 6th annual Miss City Weekly Pride Pageant. If you haven't been to one of these, this is the year to get up and come out to check out the festivities as we crown a new queen from the drag community, who will later perform at the festival itself. Plus, live performances from past winners and special guests. Tickets are $6 in advance and $10 at the door.


On Friday, June 5, the Rooftop Concert Series returns to Provo. This year they've outgrown the roof and have moved down to the streets, as they take over the middle of downtown at 100 West and Center Street. The opening show will feature Joshua James, Sego and Quiet House, totally free to attend.


On Saturday, June 6, there's a pair of events we'll direct your attention to. The first being the UMOCA will be throwing their annual fundraising gala. This year they're taking it outside of the gallery and into a bigger venue for people to enjoy food, drinks, music and great company, all in support of the arts. The event will kick off at The Complex at 6 p.m., click here to find out more info and get tickets.


Meanwhile at the Garage, the Groove Garden makes its monthly return during Pride weekend and heads into the evening with their "After Dark" program. Join a small array of DJs as they help you dance the night away to badass beats and remixes, all in the spirit of celebrating diversity.


Most of next week are shows coming through town, but there's a bulk of events taking place between June 12-13, most of them lasting both days, so we're going to zoom through all of them in the last half of this post. We'll start on Friday with the 2015 edition of the 48 Hour Film Festival here in SLC, where filmmakers of all stripes have 2 days to create a short film from scratch in hopes of winning bug prizes and going to a national stage. Visit their website for entry fees and rules.


In Ogden they'll be kicking off the 2015 Ogden Arts Festival, which is actually one of the more locally influenced festivals in the state, as you'll see artists who don't normally make it into the bigger festivals that take over the summer. It's an excellent chance to buy local and see all the cool things happening in our arts community.


Down at Thanksgiving point, they'll be holding the 41st annual Utah Scottish Festival and Highland Games. For anyone who has seen the footage, it is exactly what you would expect. Full caber tossing, highland dancing, history lessons, fantastic food and many other events to be held. It's $15, but well worth it if you're into the culture.


We go from Scottland to the other side of Asia with the 38th annual Asian Festival on Saturday, June 13. This one will take place at the South Towne Expo Center, where you'll be given an array for booths and vendors representing various cultures. Those included will be Cambodian, Chinese, Filipino, Hawaiian, Indian, Indonesian, Japanese, Korean, Laotian, Taiwanese, Thai, Tibetan and Vietnamese. Check out their website for a fill list of details.


While we're on the festival kick, Fairy Fest will take place on June 13 as well.Hosted at Crone's Hollow, the event will feature musical entertainment, psychic reading and fortune tellers, children's story circles, drumming, a selection of unique foods, a fire pit and more. You can get a full list of details and times at their Facebook event.


And then finally on that same day, the Utah Blues Festival will take over the Utah Cultural Celebration Center. From 1-10 p.m. the music will be ever constant as performers from around the state will be playing their hearts out for you and educating you in the history of the genre. A beer garden and several food trucks will be around as you partake in some damn fine music. Tickets for the entire day's events are $15.


WHEW! Well, I hope you get your fill of festivals over the next two weeks. Be sure to come back and check out the blog every other day for new interviews from the local entertainment scene. As always, we'll see what happens.