Joining the many other special events going on during this time of the year, a festival celebrating the local lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer and ally, or LGBTQA, community is being organized for later in the summer.
Champaign-Urbana’s first Pride Fest will take place on August 20 from 4 p.m. to 2 a.m. at Lincoln Square Mall, 201 Lincoln Square in Urbana, Festival Chairs Evelyne Tardy and Caroline Nappo said last week.
The UP Center of Champaign County, which is a community center for the LGBT, questioning and ally community, is the main sponsor of the event. Cosponsors are Fluid Events of Champaign and the University’s LGBT Resource Center. Admission will be free, and it will be open to people of any sexual orientation, said Tardy, who is a member of the Up Center.
As of Wednesday, Pride Fest’s Facebook page had over 800 confirmed guests – a number the mall should be able to hold, said Aaron Swartz, event manager for Fluid Events, adding that the mall should be able to hold 1,500 guests.
“I would say overall the response has been very positive,” Tardy said in an e-mail. “Many people are happy this is finally happening and are excited to attend and participate.”
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In preparation for the event, Tardy is asking local businesses and organizations if they are interested in partnering up to organize activities and workshops, some of which will be geared toward children and teenagers earlier in the day.
“We have made great progress in planning for the event,” Tardy said, adding that there is still room for additional volunteers, businesses and vendors with over one and half months until the event.
They have booked a “full schedule of local talent,” they said, including improv comedy by Zoo Improv; drag queens and kings; and Amasong, a local lesbian and feminist chorus, among many other acts.
There will also be a LGBTQA art show, a showing of “Hedwig and the Angry Inch” at Champaign’s Art Theater and an after-party at 88 Broadway, 142 Lincoln Square, which Fluid Events now owns.
Vendors and informational booths will provide information on resources in the community that are LGBT friendly. Among these will be a booth hosted by Champaign’s Community United Church of Christ, where people will be able to learn how to use the bible to defend their orientation, said Rev. Leah Robberts-Mosser, pastor of Community United Church of Christ.
“It is important to show the community that our LGBTQA population is supported and that there are resources available in areas that may not be readily available in mainstream community,” Tardy said.
