YES, WE GOT PRIDE!Kentuckiana Pride Festival 2008 was a smashing success despite the threat of rain on both Friday and Saturday. The clouds cleared out at about 1pm on Friday giving way to a beautiful weekend.
What happened that evening was even better. Record crowds participated in and watched the Pride Parade. In fact, the crowds at 5th and Main were so big they were pushing out halfway across Main Street! Attendance for the Friday Night Festival was estimated at over 2000.
Saturday was even more amazing. Past record attendance for 2005 and 2007 was 3500. This year over 4500 attended. Now where do you get that kind of growth in this economy? A full 30% - simply amazing!
This was also the first year the Pride Festival was completely open to the media. The news coverage was all good and mostly focused on the issue of gay marriage.
Another first for KPF…a feature appeared on Friday night’s Yahoo News about the coincidence of the Black Baptist Educators convention being in town the same time as the Festival was happening – room for all it seems!
We have to thank our wonderful and loyal sponsors. Bud Light is the longest standing corporate sponsor and we hope to see them back for many years – even after their impending sale.
Dignity Memorial Providers returned for a second year and became the top sponsor this year. Starbase Q hosted a fantastic bar once again along with providing internet services. CITI continued their strong support along with Connection and SLS Pride Foundation, Open Door Community Fellowship, Teddy Bears and Tryangles, The Event Company, Comedy Caravan, Kentucky Fairness Alliance, Kentucky Rainbow Chamber of Commerce, Tink’s Pub, The Letter, and of course G3 Illustrated.
Several individuals jumped on the wagon and became Friends of Pride with their personal donations. Without Friends of Pride, our corporate sponsors and the community involvement, the Kentuckiana Pride Festival would simply not exist. We are looking forward to many more years of great success and a whole lot of fun. This community has demonstrated that it certainly has – GOT PRIDE!
I can’t fail to mention one other first for 2008. The Kentuckiana Pride Festival entered the first GLBTQI sponsored float in the Derby Festival’s Pegasus Parade which aired on national TV. We are anxiously awaiting next year’s Pegasus Parade theme so we can do it again! We hope that many more of you join us next year on the stroll down Broadway.
We are fortunate that we have also been able to give back to the community. This spring we donated $500 to Big Brothers and Big Sisters of Kentuckiana which does not exclude the GLBTQI community from involvement as mentors. We will also be announcing a new record collection of tips at the Festival which are donated to the Louisville AIDS Walk.
Plans will soon be in the works for next year. The Pride Committee would love to get your feedback on this year and suggestions for next year – including entertainers you would like to see on the Festival stage. Email your suggestions to info@kentuckianapridefestival.com. We ask each year for your voice so that we can continue to give you the Festival you want.
See you next year at PRIDE!
By Mike Shouse
Director of Kentuckiana Pride Festival