Capital Pride to host first annual Colorful Fest on third weekend in October
Event will feature a block party showcasing local entertainers and a street fair featuring community organizations and businesses.
The Capital Pride Alliance will host the inaugural Colorful Fest, presented by Xfinity and Nissan, on Sunday, October 17.
Organizers are hoping the event, which serves as a fundraiser for the Capital Pride Alliance and its GivePride365 Fund, which supports local charities and nonprofits, will become a new annual tradition, offering a fall-time event for the LGBTQ community to come together and celebrate its pride.
The Colorful Fest will feature two parts: a block party and a street fair. The Street Fair, open to the general public free of charge, will feature small independent businesses, community and cultural groups, artisans, and food booths along a stretch of 15th Street NW between P and Q Streets, in the Logan Circle neighborhood. The Block Party, which will be held at St. Luke’s Episcopal Church parking lot, at the corner of P and 15th Streets NW, will feature entertainment, dancing, and a pop-up party courtesy of As You Are Bar, a part-virtual, part-in-person café and dance boutique that seeks to provide a safe space for the District’s queer community.
Admission to the block party is $5, and all attendees must provide proof of vaccination to enter the parking lot.
“We’re looking forward to bringing our multi-faceted community back together once again this fall, all while supporting local organizations and small businesses,” Ryan Bos, the executive director of the Capital Pride Alliance, said in a statement. “It’s important now more than ever to support Pride organizations, particularly as we gear up for 2022 and beyond.”
Bos told Metro Weekly in an interview that organizers are still looking for performers for the block party, which he described as a mini-concert that would provide an opportunity for local and regional performers to gain some visibility.
“Our goal is, as it is with the different stages of the Pride Festival, to show a variety of different types of talent,” Bos said. “If you go to the Monument Stage at the festival, for example, it’s a smaller stage, a more intimate setting. That’s going to be more in line with what people could expect at the block party.”
See also: Capital Pride Alliance names Pride Honors award recipients
Besides planning for the Colorful Fest, the Capital Pride Alliance is also accepting applications for volunteer leadership positions to serve on its board of directors and production team, which helps carry out the various Pride-sponsored events — beyond the annual Festival and Parade — throughout the year.
“While we will continue to offer virtual programs, we believe that these modified, in-person events will provide attendees with a much-needed sense of belonging and camaraderie,” Ashley Smith, the board president of the Capital Pride Alliance, said in a statement. “If you’re interested in making a difference in the LGBTQ+ community, being visible, and letting your voice be heard, we encourage you to become involved by volunteering your time, donating, or simply attending one of our events.”
For more information, or to sign up as a volunteer, an exhibitor, or a performer, visit www.capitalpride.org/colorfulfest.
See also:
Florida school investigating after students yell anti-gay slurs, stomp on Pride flag
New Jersey grand jury indicts teen for attempting to kill a learning disabled man he thought was gay
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