Pride Vermont Announces 2013 Festival Events

Vermont to Celebrate LGBT Community in Northern New England’s Premier Pride Festival

The Pride Vermont Committee announced its plans today for the state’s annual week-long Pride celebration, scheduled for September 8-15-2013. The festivities are held in September to better include Vermont’s large student population and foliage tourists.  It will include the annual Church Street High Heel Race, the Pride Parade through downtown Burlington, the Pride Festival at Battery Park, and the Northern Decadence Food & Travel Expo in Burlington’s Battery Park.

“This year’s Pride Vermont promises to be more vibrant than ever before, with an incredible array of events and activities for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, intersex, and allied people and families to enjoy,” said Clarie Giroux-Williams, the Pride Vermont Chair. “We look forward to celebrating Pride with people from all across the great state of Vermont, northern New England, upstate New York, and Canada.

The Church Street High Heel Race will literally kick off Pride Week on Sunday, September 8th, 2 pm on Church Street next to
Burlington’s City Hall.  The legendary House of LeMay drag troupe will again host this exciting event that includes races in various heel sizes, a cupcake-carrying race, a purse-throwing contest, and a spectators race.   Everyone and anyone is invited to participate. Prizes and trophies will be awarded.

Festivities continue on Saturday, September 14 with a Women’s Tea Dance at Red Square on Church Street in Burlington from 1:00 to 4:00 pm, plus the annual Pride Dance at Higher Ground in South Burlington later that night.

On Sunday, September 15th the Pride Parade will start at 12:30 PM, beginning at the bottom of Church Street and winding all the way to the Pride Festival site at Battery Park. With students, families, and foliage tourists in town, a record-breaking turnout is expected to view the colorful parade of floats, performers, and marchers of all kinds. The festival itself will continue until
4:00PM and will include music and entertainment in the Battery Park band shell, vendors, family, youth and activity tents, an
interfaith prayer service and community resources.   The Pride performances will be co-hosted by two of Vermont’s most entertaining drag performers - Spice Celestial and Major Face.  More information can be found at pridevermont.com.

Produced by the Vermont Gay Tourism Association (VGTA), the Northern Decadence Food & Travel Expo will take place during the Pride Vermont festival at Battery Park on Sunday, September 15, 12:00-5:00 pm. Northern Decadence will showcase LGBT-friendly businesses from across Vermont and include food and wine samples, a silent auction and the popular Decadent Cupcake Competition. Tickets are $5 for adults; children 12 and under are free. For more information and to buy tickets, visit www.northerndecadence.com.

“Pride never tasted so good,” said Willie Docto, VGTA President. “Everyone knows that Vermont offers the best things in life: world-class gourmet food, dining, scenery, shopping, attractions, and entertainment.  The Food & Travel Expo brings together LGBT-friendly businesses with consumers unlike any other food or travel show in Vermont.”

Pride Vermont is the statewide pride festival for Vermont’s lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, intersex, and ally
community. Equality-minded Vermonters gather to celebrate our state for its safe, healthy, empowering community that embraces all of life’s colors. We take Pride in Vermont’s progress towards equality and want Vermonters to know that being queer in Vermont is something worth celebrating. This year’s festivities consist of a week of activities culminating in the Vermont Parade, Festival, and
Northern Decadence Food Expo on September 15th.

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