Baton Rouge

Pride Fest

June 26, 2010

NEWS

Take the Pride Fest Survey; Tell Us How We Can Make Next Year Better (June 26, 2010)

Help us make next year's event even better, take the Pride Fest survey!

Thanks to Everyone Who Made the 2010 Pride Fest a Success (June 26, 2010)

If you missed the 2010 Baton Rouge Pride Fest, you missed a great event. What a wonderful day of fun, food and fellowship it was.

Thanks to all the team members who helped to put it together:  Ray Acardo, Kim Clark, John Deshotel Jr., Shad Duplessis, Bill Haywood, Daryl W. Ingle, Presley Hutchinson, Bonnie J. Jones, Peter Lewis Sr., Tom Merrill, Bolton Morris, Rev. Keith Mozingo, Mike Smith and Tim Young. Also, thanks to our partners in this event: Metropolitan Community Church of Baton Rouge, Krewe of Apollo Baton Rouge, Krewe of Divas, HAART, Gamma Alpha Psi, Capital City Alliance and others. Of course, there are too many volunteers who pitched in to even begin to name, but thanks to all of them, too.

Thanks also to our entertainers, and special thanks to the sponsors who made it possible for 2,000 to 2,500 to attend this free-admission event.

We'll have door prizes loads of door prizes (June 25, 2010)

Need another reason to attend the Baton Rouge Pride Fest Saturday, June 26, at the Belle of Baton Rouge Atrium downtown. How about loads of door prizes -- all for you?

We've got $50 gift certificates courtesy of Lowe's of North Baton Rouge, $50 Target gift certificates donated by Ray Acardo and Presley Hutchinson, $25 gift certificates donated by Target, 8 passes to the Audubon Zoo or Aquarium, an Embassy Suites gift certificate, Campus Federal golf umbrellas, an LSU gift bag, a Community Coffee gift box, Pride mugs and more.

You can't win if you don't come out and register. Be sure to sign up at the welcome tables when you arrive at Pride Fest tomorrow (Saturday, June 26) from noon until 6 p.m. at the Belle of Baton Rouge Atrium.

Mayor Holden has Declared June 26 Pride Day (June 24, 2010)

You'll see it in our Pride Fest program, but we just had to share this news with everyone. Baton Rouge/East Baton Rouge Parish Mayor-President Kip Hoden recently signed a proclamation declaring June 26, 2010, as LGBT Pride Day in the city-parish.

The move came at the urging of members of the Capital City Alliance and the Baton Rouge Pride Fest team.

Our thanks to the mayor for recognizing the importance of our community to the area, and special thanks to Kevin Serrin of CCA, John Deshotel of the Krewe of Apollo and the Pride Team and Bonnie Jones and Tom Merrill of MCCBR/Pride Team for their work in helping to make this happen.

The mayor’s proclamation, which will be on display at the event, reads, in part: “Whereas Baton Rouge is a city composed of a great variety of diverse people, cultures, religions, sexual orientations, languages and customs, and whereas the gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgendered communities  have contributed to the City-Parish of Baton Rouge/East Baton Rouge through active involvement in cultural and economic progress, now, therefore, I, Melvin “Kip” Holden, Mayor-President of Baton Rouge and the Parish of East Baton Rouge, hereby do proclaim June 26, 2010, as LGBT Pride Day.”

Not Sure of the Location? This Map Can Help (June 16, 2010)

Need a little help figuring out where Pride Fest is located this year?

The map and directions to the Belle of Baton Rouge Atrium that you can find on our Resource Fair page probably can help.

Here are some more tips for you:

The Belle of Baton Rouge Atrium (formerly the Sheraton Atrium) is located in downtown Baton Rouge adjacent to the Belle of Baton Rouge Casino (and between the Baton Rouge River Center and the I-10 approach to the Mississippi River bridge).  Although its address technically is 102 France Street, much of the access to it is more convenient from St. Philip, which runs down one side of the complex.

Plenty of free parking is offered in the Belle's garages and surrounding public parking lots (under the bridge). Paid parking also is available in the area (beside George's). We recommend using the free parking in the Belle garage located on the south end of the hotel complex (between Europe and South on River Road - behind the 13th Gate building).

Pride Fest will be occupying most of the south end of the Belle of Baton Rouge Atrium (the end closest to the I-10 bridge). You won't be able to miss us no matter how you enter the Atrium.

Pride Fest Program On Its Way (June 15, 2010)

The printed version of this year's Baton Rouge Pride Fest program book is off at the printer and will be ready for you at the Baton Rouge Pride Fest from noon until 6 p.m. Saturday, June 26, at the Belle of Baton Rouge Atrium downtown.

But you don't have to wait for the printed version to see it. You can check out an online version and learn more about our team, our events,  our resource fair participants and our sponsors and advertisers who helped to make it all possible.

Just click here to see an online version of the program. (You'll need Adobe Acrobat reader to view the pdf file.)

Don't Forget Other Pride Events, Too (June 15, 2010)

In addition to the Baton Rouge Pride Fest from noon until 6 p.m. Saturday, June 26, at the Belle of Baton Rouge Atrium downtown next to the river (and the Belle of Baton Rouge Casino), other groups also have events planned for the weekend and week before our event.

Don't forget about these events:

• New Orleans Gay Men's Chorus "Disco Daze." Saturday, June 19, 7:30 p.m., Unitarian Church of Baton Rouge (Goodwood Boulevard). www.nogmc.com

• Krewe of Divas Pride Bal Masque. Saturday, June 19, 8  p.m., The Union Hall (Government Street), Baton Rouge. www.kreweofdivas.com

• Capital City Alliance "Kings, Queens and Everything In Between." Tuesday, June 22, 9 p.m., Splash (Highland Road), Baton Rouge. www.ccabatonrouge.org

40+ Organizations and Businesses Signed Up for Resource Fair Already (June 8, 2010)

We've still got a few more days left before the deadline, but more than 40 organizations and businesses have signed up to participate in this year's Community Resource Fair at Pride Fest.

To see the complete list or to find out how your group or business can get involved, visit our Resource Fair page.

You're sure to discover lots of services and organizations you didn't know about by taking part in the Resource Fair at this year's Baton Rouge Pride Fest from noon until 6 p.m. Saturday, June 26, at the Belle of Baton Rouge Atrium downtown next to the river (and the Belle of Baton Rouge Casino).

Response from Sponsors Tremendous (June 8, 2010)

The response from sponsors this year has been nothing short of tremendous, even with the sluggish economy.

The event is still almost three weeks away, and we've nearly met our budget for cash donations to support the event (which is almost double the total budget with which we operated last year).

Couple that with the donations of advertising from Cox Communications and Lamar, and our Baton Rouge Pride Fest 2010 accounts now show almost twice what we budgeted for this year and nearly three times what we had last year.

You'll can see the complete list of sponsors on our Sponsors page. We certainly hope you'll say thanks to all of them for supporting this great event for our community.

More Entertainers Added (June 8, 2010)

The New Orleans Gay Men's Chorus is joining the great lineup of entertainers slated for the Baton Rouge Pride Fest.

In addition, we've got Toni O and Blue Haze, Daphne Mushatt with Miss Jane, Laurence LeSage and Michael Sandlin plus a step show by Gamma Alpha Psi and performances by the incomparable Krewe of Divas.

You don't want to miss it. To see the full schedule of events slated for noon to 6 p.m. Saturday, June 26, at the Belle of Baton Rouge Atrium, click here.

Lamar Donates Billboard Space for Pride Fest (June 8, 2010)

Lamar has generously donated most of the costs of billboard space advertising the Baton Rouge Pride Fest.

You should see our ads on four electronic billboards around the city starting June 13.

Thanks to Lamar for their generous support.

The in-kind donations of advertising from Lamar ($4,300) and Cox Communications ($10,000) have doubled the budget for this year's events.

If you want a sneek peek at the billboards, open this file.

Cox Donates Advertising for Pride Fest (June 1, 2010)

Cox Communications is donating advertising for the Baton Rouge Pride Fest valued at approximately $10,000.

The company will run 200 30-second spots during the next few weeks on its cable network in the area.

Our spot was produced and donated by Ted Baldwin of 3rd Coast Digital Films/Cinema Rektor Studios. If you haven't seen it yet, click here to take a look at the Web version.

Gerry Lane Enterprises Sponsoring Kids' Area (May 2010)

Gerry Lane Enterprises has graciously signed on as the sponsor for the children's area for this year's Baton Rouge Pride Fest.

We'll have a "fun jump" from Bounce n' Around Inflatables, as well as other activities, such as face painting, for the young and young at heart.

Thanks to Gerry Lane and to all our sponsors for their support.

Krewes of Apollo, Divas Join in FUNdraising Show for Pride Fest (April 27, 2010)

The lovely "ladies" of the Krewe of Apollo Baton Rouge will join those from the Krewe of Divas at 11 p.m. this Friday (April 30, 2010) at George’s Place for a special drag show benefiting the Baton Rouge Pride Fest.

Please join us for this FUNdrasing event to support Pride in our community! You don't want to miss incomparable Effie Marie, Chica LaRouge, Jennifer Marlow, Buffi Monet, Venus Envy and many more...

See you at George's (868 St. Louis Street, Baton Rouge) this Friday night. Admission is free, and all your tips benefit this year's Baton Rouge Pride Fest.

(Added May 1, 2010): We certainly hope everyone had a great time. Thanks to all who participated and helped raise funds for this year's Baton Rouge Pride Fest!

Larry Fremin Selected as Honorary Grand Marshal for 2010 (April 24, 2010)

Larry Fremin, one of the founding members of the Krewe of Apollo Baton Rouge, has been selected to serve as honorary grand marshal of this year's Baton Rouge Pride Fest.

Fremin, who is serving as captain for Apollo's 30th anniversary ball this year, has served that organization continuously since its founding. He's also been an avid supporter of a variety of community causes, including Apollo's AIDS Crisis Fund, the Children's Miracle Network Halloween Ball and many others, in addition to being a long-time Baton Rouge businessman as the owner of Four Seasons Flowers and Gifts.

Join us in congratulating Larry for this much-deserved honor. The award will be officially presented at 3 p.m. Saturday, June 26, during the Baton Rouge Pride Fest at the Belle of Baton Rouge Atrium. For more details on the full schedule of events, see our schedule page.

Same Place, Different Name (April 15, 2010)

The location for this year's Baton Rouge Pride Fest is still the same, but its name has changed since we started promoting the events earlier this year.

The Sheraton brand has been dropped by the Belle of Baton Rouge Convention Center and Hotel, so our location now will be known as the Belle of Baton Rouge Atrium.

It's still the same great place at 102 France Street beside the river in downtown Baton Rouge. Only the name has changed. But there's still plenty of free parking in its garages and plenty of air-conditioned space for our activities. For more details on the location, visit the Belle of Baton Rouge website. (It even has a Directions link that will let you generate your own customized directions.)

Sponsors, Advertisers, Resource Fair Vendors Being Sought for 2010 (March 15, 2010)

Moving inside to the comforts of the Sheraton Atrium and offering a longer festival and more extensive lineup of entertainment also mean higher costs for the 2010 Baton Rouge Pride Fest.

So we're seeking sponsors and advertisers to help defray those costs and support this extremely worthwhile community event. More details about advertising in this year's program book or sponsoring Pride Fest can be found on our sponsors page.

We're also seeking organizations and businesses interested in participating in our resource fair. We also want it to be the largest ever (which will be quite a feat, considering we had more than 40 last year). If you're interested or know of someone who may be, please see our resource fair page.

Nominate Someone to be Grand Marshal (March 1, 2010)

Last year we instituted a Baton Rouge Pride Fest honor by naming someone as the Honorary Grand Marshal for the events.

Richard Dykes, owner of George's Place, was the honoree (along with recognition for his partner Guy Schmeider and their dedicated team of employees).

The Pride Fest team is seeking your ideas about who we should honor this year. Know someone in the community who should be recognized as the Honorary Grand Marshal of this year's Baton Rouge Pride Fest for their long-term and dedicated service to the GLBT community?

Send an e-mail with your nominee's name, contact information and a brief explanation of why you think that person (or organization) should be honored to BRPride@bellsouth.net. 

Entertainment Lineup Already Taking Shape (Feb. 15, 2010)

We've got a great slate of entertainers lined up for the 2010 Baton Rouge Pride Fest from noon until 6 p.m. at the Sheraton Atrium (102 France Street, Baton Rouge).

Baton Rouge's own legendary diva Daphne MuShatt is returning to entertain us with her musical talents, and she'll be accompanied this year by Miss Jane. We've also recruited Toni O and Blue Haze from Baton Rouge, Baton Rouge's Krewe of Divas, and many more.

We'll also offer our traditional blessing of relationships conducted by MCC pastor, Rev. Keith Mozingo, and much more.

You don't want to miss it!

Dates, Location Selected for 2010; Pride Fest Moving to Indoor Location with 'Outdoor Feel' (January 1, 2010)

Thee 2010 Baton Rouge Pride Fest is moving indoors to the Sheraton Atrium in downtown Baton Rouge.

This year's date for the "picnic" and resource fair will be June 26, 2010 from noon until 6 p.m. The indoor venue has the benefits of air conditioning to help you beat the summer heat, a better stage and sound system for entertainment, and space for organizations and vendors for the resource fair to be located in the same area with the stage. (You told us you wanted all of that in the survey after last year's events, and we're trying to meet those requests!)

Mark your calendars. Save the date, and spread the word to your friends. Join us for a fun-filled day of entertainment, networking, food, fun and more.

2009 NEWS

2009 Pride Fest a Huge Success

The 2009 Baton Rouge Pride Fest weekend was a huge success!

About 1,500 to 2,000 people participated in the various activities of the weekend, which included Drag Bingo on Friday evening, the Pride Fest picnic and Resource Fair Saturday, a special Pride Worship Service at MCCBR on Sunday, an afternoon of movies on Sunday and much more.

A survey of participants after the event found that EVERYONE said they would attend Pride Fest again and bring their friends. Among the comments were:

• It was a great Community event.

• I think it is awesome opportunity to see friends, vendors and be entertained at a nice scenario.

• I think the BR gay community is being VERY well-served by the Pride Fest and already look forward to next year's event.

• If people want to go to any event of their peers and have a good time and fellowship...this was it!

• Wonderful opportunity to meet and view other alternative families, and show my child that we're not alone in not "being the norm."

• The Pride Fest was a terrific source for information.

Thanks to everyone who made the events possible, including our dedicated team of volunteers and our generous sponsors.

George's Owner Richard Dykes 'Honorary Grand Marshal'

Longtime Baton Rouge businessman and community member/supporter Richard Dykes will be recognized as the honorary grand marshal of the 2009 Baton Rouge Pride Fest.

Dykes and partner Guy Schmeider are the owners and operators of George’s Place, the city’s oldest GLBT-targeted establishment.

The award will be officially presented shortly after noon during the Pride Picnic and Community Resource Fair Saturday, June 20, at BREC’s Magnolia Mound Park on Nicholson Drive (between LSU and downtown) in Baton Rouge.

“It’s our honor to recognize Richard Dykes for the pivotal role he’s played in our community for so many years,” said Tom Merrill, chair of the Baton Rouge Pride Fest team. “He’s been much more than just a long-standing member of the community. He’s supported so many causes, helped to put on so many things, and, in general, been a friend to everyone in our community. Selecting him as the first recipient of this honor was an easy decision for our planning team to make!”

Daphne MuShatt, Others To Entertain Pride Fest Crowd

There's a full schedule of entertainment planned for the Baton Rouge Pride Fest Picnic Saturday, June 20, at Magnolia Mound.

Entertainment, like the picnic and resource fair, stretches from 10:30 a.m. until 2:30 p.m., and includes singers, comedians and a chance for the public to be a star with Coco’s karaoke.

One of the highlights will be a return to the stage of Daphne MuShatt, formerly of the Born Divas, SHE the Band and N2N. She’s scheduled to perform along with Ester Gorsha, Andrea Papa and Rae Morris. But they won’t be alone on the stage – with other portions of the day including singers/musicians Ray Acardo, Mister Wilson, Michael Sandlin, Erika Schneider and Andi Johnson; comedians Landon, Patricia Hamilton and Cami Miller; and performances by the Krewe of Divas and Miss Capitol City Pride Amanda Rose Andrew. See more about the entertainment.

MCC Pastor To Conduct Blessing of Relationships

Building on a tradition started during last year's Pride Fest, activities Saturday, June 20, at Magnolia Mound will include a blessing of relationships that will celebrate the victories made in marriage equality during the past year, as well as ever-so-briefly bemoan the setbacks.

“We feel strongly about honoring the commitments made by people to one another, and we believe those relationships are a gift from God to be celebrated,” said Rev. Keith Mozingo, pastor of MCC of Baton Rouge, who will conduct the relationship blessing. “Same-sex marriage may not be legal here in Louisiana, but that doesn’t have to stop people from celebrating their relationships or us from honoring and blessing those relationships. We’ve seen many states giving us cause for a celebration over the past year, but we feel there’s always a reason to celebrate the love members of our community share.”

The blessing will occur between noon and 12:30 along with other activities including entertainment and special recognition of this year's Pride Fest Grand Marshal.

'Drag Bingo' Sure To Provide Laughs, Chances to Win Prizes

Thanks to some of our friends from the Krewe of Apollo Baton Rouge, who will repeat their roles as hostesses again this year, Pride Fest will feature several rounds of “Drag Bingo” from 8 p.m. until 10 p.m. Friday, June 19, at MCC of Baton Rouge (7747 Tom Drive).

Participants can compete for prizes while they enjoy fun, fellowship and snacks, and admission is free. Among the prizes are free hotel nights, LSU collectibles, Audubon Zoo/Aquarium tickets and much more. Visit MCCBR's Web site for directions.

Don't Miss Out On Great Door Prizes!

Door prizes will be awarded throughout the day at the Pride Picnic and Resource Fair on Saturday, June 20, as well as the Afternoon at the Movies on Sunday, June 21.

All those who register at the Pride Fest welcome tables will be entered in the drawings for gift certificates, T-shirts, Pride items and much more.

Be sure to look for the Pride welcome table and complete your entry.

Afternoon Of Movies Planned For Sunday, June 21

Movies offered Sunday afternoon, June 21, will include several favorites and potential favorites -- including Academy Award-winning "Milk."

Other selections include "Noah's Arc: Jumping the Broom," "Coffee Date" and "Rock Haven." Along with the movies will be free snacks during breaks, as well as the chance to visit with friends and neighbors.

The Afternoon at the Movies will be conducted at MCCBR (7747 Tom Drive) from 12:30 until ab out 5:30 p.m.  Click here for a schedule and more information.

Resource Fair Growing Daily

With a week left to sign up (and two weeks until the event), approximately 20 community organizations and businesses also have signed up to “table” at the Pride Fest Picnic and Resource Fair Saturday, June 20.

Those groups include organizations who will do everything from signing up voters to HIV and STD counseling and testing. And new applications are coming in every day, which means the final count could approach 30 or more organizations participating.

Among those committed to participate as of June 5 were Avallon Salon and Day Spa; Avita Drugs; Big Easy Metropolitan Community Church (New Orleans); Blanche's Beads; Bonnie Jones, Realtor; Family Service of Greater Baton Rouge; Forum for Equality; Freedom of Choice AA; Gamma Alpha Psi; Greg Bell AIDS Foundation; HAART / The Caring Clinic; Human Rights Campaign; Krewe of Apollo Baton Rouge; Krewe of Divas; Mark Akchin, Realtor; the Martens Law Firm; Metro Health; Metropolitan Community Church of Baton Rouge; PFLAG Acadiana; Shear Illusions Hair Salon; Starbucks; Stonewall Democrats; and Tiger Truck Stop. 

Does your group want to participate? Go to our Resource Fair application page for more details.