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Pride Guide 2009

GAY PEOPLE'S CHRONICLE 19

Cleveland

Continued from page 17

At least a dozen different churches will have contingents in the parade, as will Stonewall Democrat groups from Cleveland and Akron, LGBT rights groups, school and professional gay-straight alliances, local bars and even Joseph Beth Booksellers have all signed up to march in the parade.

Those who are planning to head downtown early can head to the Old Stone Church on Public Square for the P-FLAG Cleveland Pride Brunch, which starts at 10:30 am. The event is free.

The following day, people simply will not

let Pride go, with two major events along the course of the day.

The annual Drag Softball game, presented by the North Coast Athletics Association, will be held at Gordon Park on East 72nd just south of I-90. This year's theme is "Cleveland Trash vs. Pittsburgh Trash," bringing the athletic rivalry to Pride weekend, putting it in heels and a dress, and making sure everyone counts the strikes... and balls.

The game is at 2:30 pm, and will be followed by a softball league fundraiser at the Leather Stallion.

At 5:30 pm, the Spiritual Leaders Group will have their annual Pride Interfaith service at Trinity Cathedral, East 22nd Street at Euclid Avenue.

This year's theme is "Generations of Pride: From Riots to Registry," honoring the 40th anniversary of the Stonewall Riots and the passage of the domestic partnership registry. Local LGBT activists will speak about their lives, and film clips and photographs will be projected to literally illustrate the history of LGBT Pride.

The service is scheduled so that those who are attending the Sunday performance of the North Coast Men's Chorus can make it out of the show and over to the church, a block east of Waetjen Auditorium at Cleveland State University.

This year's Pride concert is "Totally Awesome '80s," providing hours of campy fun from the decade that gave the world hair metal, Day-Glo clothes and legwarmers.

"Totally Awesome '80s" is being performed on Saturday at 8 pm and Sunday at 3 pm.

Columbus Pride Holiday is a full weekend this year

by Anthony Glassman

29

Columbus-Stonewall Columbus' annual Pride Holiday faced some setbacks going into this year's event: Bicentennial Park is under construction, forcing a move to Goodale Park, which isn't available on their traditional fourth Saturday of June.

Organizers took the adage about lemons and lemonade to heart, and decided to use those setbacks to make Pride bigger and better than ever.

Perhaps taking a cue from Cincinnati's ever-successful two-day festival filled with music, Pride Holiday is both Friday and Saturday, June 19 and 20. Rockin' in the Streets is now part of Pride, instead of a Pride event outside of the festival.

The Freedom Stage, at Goodale Park, will start up at 5 pm on Friday, with emcee Lustivious de la Virgione.

Performers include Melissa Ferrick, the Trina Hamlin Band with Allison Miller and Gail Ann Dorsey, Coyote Grace and Steph Taylor and the State Of.

Filling out the roster are Martine Locke, Chrissy Foster, Drew Davis, Rain Maxwell, the Columbus Women's Drum Chorus, Viva's Red Light Burlesque and Belly Dancers, Highjinks Stiltwalkers and Mary B.

Two hours after Rockin' in the Streets begins during the Friday half of the Pride Holiday festival, a second concert starts at the "Gayzebo" stage. Performers there include Greggles, Josh Zuckerman, No Shade, Joshua Klipp, Jeff Altergott and Spin Columbus.

On Saturday, the more traditional festival takes place, beginning with the Pride parade.

The parade reverses its route from past years. Line-up begins at noon at the Ohio Statehouse, then at 1 pm heads north on High Street to Buttles Ave., then west into Goodale Park.

At Goodale, the entertainment continues with both stages going strong. Performers include some returnees from the previous evening, but also Kat

Deluna, Nina West, the Fabulous Johnson Brothers, World Famous Weed Eaters, Unecc with One Eye Theory, Frozen Feet, Team Smile and Nod, DJ Sean and Derek and Romaine on the main stage.

On the "Gayzebo" Stage, get ready for karaoke, drag kings and queens, the Columbus Stompers, the Flaggots, Capital Pride Band, Columbus Gay Men's Chorus and the Columbus Women's Chorus.

If that isn't enough music, a third stage will provide dance music both nights, featuring DJs Craig Roberts, Tony C and Chris X.

And get ready to really bust loose, since there will be beer, wine and liquor at this year's festival, a mechanical bull, a rock wall, gladiator joust, a giant slide and a lot more throughout the festival.

And, while the Bible says God rested on the seventh day and the Christian faith interprets that as Sunday, Pride figures you can rest on Monday, after

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wrapping up the weekend with the Pride Brunch at the Westin.

This year's brunch is a "Salute to Judy Garland," on the 40th anniversary of her death. The brunch begins at 11 am, and tickets are $35.

Music will be provided by the Richard Lopez Trio with singer Carolyn

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Full information about the Stonewall Columbus Pride Holiday can be found at www.columbuspride.org.

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