The clock is counting down to the Official Pride Festivities which kick off with the Pride Parade tomorrow morning at 11am in Downtown Seattle along 4th Avenue from Union Street heading north to Denny Way ending up at Seattle Center for the Pride Festival. The parade will last about 2 and 1/2 hours and feature as Grand Marshals, gay civil rights activist Dr Margarethe Cammermeyer, first out NFL player Dave Kopay, military gay rights activist Eric Alva, and organizational and business marshals, PFLAG, GSBA, Equal Rights Washington, and the Seattle Gay News. Commentary along the parade route will be provided by Seattle actor/comedian/writer John Keister, entertainer Sylvia O’Stayformore, and from the Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence, Mother Teresa Nervina and Sister Stella Standing. And, fun fact: it takes longer to WATCH the parade than it does to walk it…it’s just a slow hour walk but a two plus hour view! Crazy!
THEN, it’s party time at Seattle Center for the official Seattle Gay Pride Festival with dozens of booths, food, and live entertainment. The headliner is American Idol runner-up and recording star Kimberley Locke at 3:10pm but some of the other performers include brilliant local band, Eighteen Individual Eyes, RuPaul Drag Race contestant and current Le Faux at Julia’s headliner, Shannel and singer-songwriter Julie Goldman. And, if you’re in the mood to shake a groove thing, then you can check out all the DJ action…Riff Raff, Tony Burns, Bret Law, Rob Hall, LA Kendall, Colby b, Skiddle, Nark…nearly every great DJ in town will be working the Festival…(these DJ’s make BANK during Pride; also, they must sleep for a week afterward…)
For folks wanting to head back to the Hill, there’s the official Pride Party mysteriously known as “momo” (I didn’t choose the lowercase) which is going on INSIDE Neumo’s at 10th & Pike as well as outside in the street garden. It’s going on from 4-9pm (outside) then exclusively inside Neumo’s until closing. Kimberley Locke is dropping by for a short set and DJ Lee Decker will be spinning. Buses will take PrideFest partiers from Seattle Center to 10th and Pike for “momo”. Pre-sale tickets are all gone, but you can buy tickets at the gate…it’s one of the bargain tickets for the street events, so it might be the way to go for folks on a budget…worth a look see.
-Michael Strangeways
About the Author: Michael Strangeways
