by Anthony Glassman

Cincinnati--Like Bruce Willis in the Die Hard movies, Cincinnati?s Pride Alive just keeps coming back for more, rescuing southwest Ohio from the hum-drum for a weekend of fabulousness.

The two-day official Pride festivities will be held on June 9 and 10 this year, although the format is being slightly changed.

On Saturday, the fun begins in Northside?s Hoffner Park at 4 pm with the Rainbow Party, featuring performances by DJ Joe Bermudez from XM Radio, along with Sity Hall, Quasi and the Queen City Rainbow Band.

To add to the fun, there will be sumo wrestling, Queer Twister and an ostrich obstacle race.

Sunday, June 10 will see the pep rally and parade, along with the second half of the LGBT Pride festival.

The pep rally at Burnet Woods, in Clifton north of the University of Cincinnati, starts at 11 am with speeches from the parade?s grand marshals, Marian Weage and Dr. Ronn Rucker. DJ Victim will perform at the rally.

Weage, a 73-year-old Cincinnati native, is responsible for Parents, Family and Friends of Lesbians and Gays Cincinnati being the force that it is today. With three of her four children being gay, Weage led the charge, handing out ?condoms and a hug? at gay bars to encourage gay men to practice safe sex.

She won the McCrackin Pace and Justice Award in 2003 for her activism and advocacy, and was the president of PFLAG Cincinnati for six years.

Dr. Ronn Rucker, along with Dr. Evelyn Hess and Michael Ritchety, was responsible for Cincinnati?s response to the AIDS crisis, drawing up plans to educate on and combat HIV.

Rucker was on the national organizing committee for the 1979 and 1987 Marches on Washington, and has worked with author Randy Shilts, AIDS quilt creator Cleve Jones, and Metropolitan Community Churches founder Rev. Troy Perry

The parade steps off at 1 pm, making its way to Hoffner Park, where the festival, Rockin? in the Park, will take place.

The festival, which will last until 7 pm, features emcee Ashley West, Vickie D?Salle, the Cincinnati Men?s Chorus, Lourds, the FuckHers, the Futurists and Jackie.

Of course, the Pride parade and two-day festival are not all the life in Pride in Cincinnati. The fun actually begins on June 3 with the annual Drag Races between Vine and Race Streets, joined this year by the Tryke Dyke Race.

On June 5, the Pride Interfatih Service returns to St. John UCC in Bellevue, giving a spiritual aspect to Pride.

While it?s not strictly a Pride event, PFLAG Cincinnati will hold its annual scholarship banquet on June 12 at Mt. Auburn Church in Cincinnati at 7 pm.

For more information on Pride Alive, go to www.glbtcentercincinnati.com.