Happy Pride Month!
On behalf of the Nashville Pride Board of Directors, we would like to welcome you to the 2010 Nashville Pride Festival! The month of June is going to be exciting and fast paced, with events for everyone, all leading up to Festival day on Saturday, June 19.
Riverfront Park will again be the home of the Festival, and we have felt the open and warm reception even more than we did last year from the City of Nashville and the Downtown businesses. The recent events of early May left us reviewing “Plan B” as the park and many of our downtown friends became submerged from the overflow of the Cumberland River. As a native Middle Tennessean it was overwhelming to see Mother Nature take such a powerful hold on our city and state; however, it was even more overwhelming to see strangers become friends and come together to ensure that devastation would not prevail and that those in need were not alone, that Nashville (and all areas of Tennessee) was whole and we would move forward. We never missed a beat and showed our heritage as the Volunteer State.
The 2010 Festival will offer some changes from last year and even past Nashville Prides in general: the addition of a second stage, covered seating near the eateries and an admission charge of $5 per person… just to name a few.
Yes, you read correctly: A $5 per person admission will be charged this year, with children 12 and under free. The board of directors researched other Pride festivals and admission fees across the country, and discussed the topic in depth. The discussion was settled and a price set that we feel is fair and worthy of the entertainment and festivities of the day. The board of directors works year round in preparing and planning for the festival; the admission charge will ensure that Nashville Pride will remain financially healthy moving into 2011.
As a non-profit organization we can no longer rely solely on the support of corporate sponsorship for all financial needs and look to the community at-large to support the largest GLBT celebration in the State of Tennessee. Nashville Pride’s purpose is to maintain a sense of community and awareness of, about, and for gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender people and culture throughout middle Tennessee.
Nashville Pride greatly appreciates the support of the following: Tribe and Play Dance Bar (2010 Presenting Sponsors), Bridgestone (2010 Main Stage Sponsor), Millennium Maxwell House Hotel (2010 Host Hotel), Barefoot Wine & Bubbly, Bud Light, Svedka Vodka, Nashville GLBT Chamber of Commerce, Solve, SunTrust Bank, Bristol Development, Fifth Third Bank, Hard Rock Cafe, Signature Transportation Services, Amerigo Italian Restaurant, Dinix, Dolce Tan, Jive! A Digital Print Factory, Arrow Nashville, Vanderbilt Life Flight Event Medicine, Out & About Newspaper, and Cosmo Creations DJ Service; as well as, the countless volunteers, members of the Nashville Pride Core 100, the Stirrup, and Out Central Cultural Center.
Dream and dream big, be proud of who you are!
Peace, Love, and PRIDE,
James Randall Roop, president