This weekend marks the return of The Pink Loerie, one of the country’s most popular LGBTQIA+ festivals, to Knysna on the Garden Route. This follows a two-year break due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Now in its 22nd year, The Pink Loerie is an annual celebration of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer and ally culture and identity.
Although held on a smaller scale, it brought out a huge outpouring of love and support from revellers.
Knysna pride brings with it vibrant and colourful people celebrating love and life.
The weekend festival hosted a series of cultural, community and fundraising events – giving local businesses and tourism a much needed financial injection.
The Pink Loerie Foundation’s Johan van Niekerk says, “Everybody’s getting out of the covid 19 chaos. Everybody wants to recoup but they just need to do it slowly. It’s not gonna help for them to go back to day 1 that they left out on. They need to understand that it’s slow steps. That’s the only way to rebuild their businesses. And our small part in that is literally making Knysna again to the tourists, public, local and after that international will follow.”
It all culminated with the colourful Pink Loerie parade through the streets of Knysna.
Supported by his family, outgoing Mr Gay World South Africa, Shanon Kannigan led the street party.
“It’s been truly amazing. A blessing, a dream. Supercalifragilistic, any possible term or word you can think of. That’s how the experience has been. Knysna is so gorgeous, it’s so beautiful. It makes sense why it’s 19th placed out of all the tourism sites in the world internationally. It’s breathtaking and the love that you receive… it’s out of this world.”
The event drew visitors from all parts of the country.
Pink Loerie revellers say, “I’ve been coming to the Loerie Festival for the past 16 – 17 years and it’s always been great to come to Knysna and just be happy and jovial and just to celebrate you right here with the people of Knysna.
“It’s our first time at The Pink Loerie in Knysna and it’s been one of the absolute best experiences. Our community is small but diverse and beautiful.”
Proceeds from the event are distributed amongst various charities in and around Knysna.