by MARK SLUTSKY

While some fests offer either music, or dance, or movies, or art, or a parade, Divers/Cité pretty much packs it all in for its seven days, with many, many drag queens to boot. This year, Montreal's homegrown Pride festival's 12th edition features an overwhelming schedule of events, ranging from the booty-shaking to the consciousness- raising.

Bingo mistress's breakout

The celebrations kick off in style, as usual, with perennial favourite Mado au Casino opening the fest on Monday, July 26. Local drag superstar and columnist Mado Lamotte and her outrageous entourage take over the Cabaret du Casino for a night of bingo, music and yuks. Tickets go for $34.99 a pop, and the show starts at 8 p.m. (Tickets for most events can be purchased at www.admission.com or in person at Priape, 1311 Ste-Catherine E.) The next night, Tuesday, July 27, sees the first of Divers/Cité's many free outdoor events. That would be Cinema in the Park, this year featuring Belgian director Alain Berliner's 1997 flick Ma vie en rose, which tells the tale of a little boy who yearns to be a girl. Show up early if you want a good seat; the movie starts at 9 p.m. at Parc Lafontaine's Théâtre de Verdure. (As with all free events, according to the organization, "Donations are voluntary but necessary.")

Aussie photographer Mazz Imàge is a mainstay at the popular Sydney Lesbian and Gay Mardi Gras, and on Wednesday, July 28, she'll be on hand to sign copies of her new book, You & Mardi Gras, at Archambault (500 Ste-Catherine E.), at 11 a.m. Photos from the tome (which features over 350 of her shots) will be on display at Parc Émilie-Gamelin from Thursday, July 29 to Sunday, August 1, and if you show up at 4 p.m. or 6 p.m., Mazz'll take you on a guided tour of the display.

Dark dance

Regular festival attendees will recognize Flexx, which is traditionally Divers/Cité's outdoor dance showcase. They're mixing it up a little this year, as the event will be held indoors, at Usine C (1345 Lalonde), Wednesday, July 28, and feature only one work, La Pornographie des âmes, by local choreographer Dave St-Pierre. They're billing this as a dark, intense work, so get ready for some heavy-duty dance. The show takes place one night only, at 8 p.m., and tix are $30. On a lighter note, the same night also features V.Nus Does Madonna, with the local "Madonna illusionist" performing Madge's hits. At Cabaret Mado, 9:30 p.m., $10–$15.

Things start to heat up on Thursday, July 29, with Cachondo: La Noche Latina. Running over an hour and a half, the show features over 30 acts, including Carlos Placeres, Cindy Chavez, Andrew and Manuel Figueroa, and some dance troupes and drag queens thrown in for good measure. The event takes place at Parc Émile-Gamelin at 8 p.m., and is free. And check out Yalla Barra! at the Lion D'Or (1676 Ontario E.), a night of Middle Eastern and world music to raise funds for Lebanese-Canadian LBGTQ rights group Helem. 10 p.m., $10.

Something for the weekend

On Friday, July 30, the festival really explodes as the weekend swings into full gear. It's diva central at 1, Boulevard des Rêves, a mega-night of song featuring over 30 performers, including Dorothée Berryman, Nanette Workman, Sylvie Desgroseilliers, Dawn Tyler Watson, Mado Lamotte and dozens more. The show starts at 7:30 p.m. at Parc Émilie-Gamelin and runs for three-and-a-half hours. It's free (but you know the deal with the donations). Friday also sees the festival's first big dance party, Homorama. With music from Brooklyn-based electro-rockers Black Moustache and celebrated local DJ Frigid, the night is hosted by Toronto burlesquers SkinTight Outta Sight. At the Just For Laughs Studio (2111 St-Laurent), 10 p.m., $20 (but tix are only $15 if you pick them up before July 26). And if you're thinking of tying the knot, earlier in the day sees the opening of Ensemble/Together, this town's first gay and lesbian marriage expo, featuring over 60 exhibitors. The expo runs through Sunday, August 1, at Centre St-Pierre (1212 Panet), and admission is $8.

Things continue in that wholesome vein the next afternoon, on Saturday, July 31, with Divers/Cité's annual Community Day. All sorts of groups - health, sports, human rights and more - will be rocking the kiosks at the festival site from 11 a.m.–5 p.m. Providing the musical entertainment for Community Day will be Mister Smith, Vogler, and electric violinist Dr. Draw, as part of a chill event dubbed PMDelux. That's 1–5 p.m. at Parc Émilie-Gamelin.

When that's all done, head over to the corner of de Maisonneuve and St-Denis for Sexgarage 1, the first of two electropunkin' parties taking place over the weekend. This one's curated by notorious local Plastik Patrik and features music by Washington's famed rockers the Gossip, as well as Quebec City's Chernobyl Cha-Cha, a live performance by Frigid, and DJs Cherry Cola and Will Munro. That's at 5 p.m., and is free.

If house is more your bag, though, stick around Parc Émilie-Gamelin for the Sunset Party, with DJs Angel Moraes and Jester. Watch the sun go down, dance, or cool off at the outdoor shower. That's also at 5 p.m. Later that night is the popular Mascara, la nuit des drags, as the festival's drag queen quotient hits critical mass. Hosted by (who else) Mado Lamotte, the show features dozens of the town's hard-working drag queens, with extravagant dance numbers and costumes to match. That's at the corner of Berri and Ontario, and the three-hour show starts at 8 p.m. Just uptown, at the Musée Just Pour Rire, Lesbomonde, Divers/Cité's great big lesbian bash will be going down. It's a two-floor affair, featuring DJs Kris Kono and Torus, as well as the gals from Skin Tight Outta Sight. The party starts at 9:30 p.m., Saturday, July 31, and tickets are $25 ($20 if you buy 'em before July 26). Deliri-Hom, at Sky (1474 Ste-Catherine E.), is a DJs, dance, and leather fest hosted by MC Faucon; tix are $15.

Parade of pride

And then, of course, there's the Sunday parade. There's almost too much to mention, with all sorts of crazy floats and folks marching from all over the world (and don't forget the minute of silence at 1:30 p.m.). The parade, which begins at noon, goes along René-Lévesque, starting at Guy and ending up at the corner of St-Denis. Then, the party really gets started. Parc Émilie-Gamelin sees Le Grand Bal Disco, featuring none other than '80s legend and recently out lesbo Samantha Fox! She's joined by the Boogie Wonder Band, Patsy Gallant, V.Nus, and the ubiquitous Mado. That's at 1:31 p.m.

Starting the same time is La Grande Danse, at the corner of Berri and Ontario, a great big dance party featuring DJs Alain Vinet, Stéfane Lippé, Mark Anthony and more, and ending with a multimedia spectacle put together by DJ Nicola Torriero. Around the corner at de Maisonneuve and St-Denis is Sexgarage 2, with Toronto bands Kids on TV and the Jane Waynes, locals Duchess Says and Echo Kitty, as well as DJs Rico, Tök, and Frigid. Described as a "lesbian block party," the Girlz T-Danse features DJs Kris Kono, Denise Benson, Mini, Gaylord, and Mighty Kat. Emceed by Alexis O'Hara, the ever-popular Meow Mix, "for bent girls and their buddies," takes place later that night, at 10:30 p.m. at la Sala Rossa (4848 St-Laurent). Denise Benson will be on hand to spin the tunes. Tix are $10.

And then of course there's the big one, the Pride Ball at Aria (1280 St-Denis). The all-star DJ line-up includes Peter Rauhofer, Patrick Guay, Stéfane Lippé, and an electro room with Tommie Sunshine, Spencer Product, and Mini. The party starts at 10 p.m. and goes on till God knows when; tix are $45, $40 before July 26. Then, look forward to sleeping for a few days.