Photo credit: Milwaukee Pride
In a perfect world, PrideFest, Milwaukee’s first lakefront festival of the season, would now be in a last-minute frenzy preparing to open its gates to tens of thousands of LGBTQs and allies. But alas, in these pandemic times of social distancing and responsible health conscious behaviors, PrideFest has been canceled. Still, albeit virtually or at a respectable distance, the annual June celebration of LGBTQ Pride carries on regardless.
Milwaukee Pride and the Milwaukee Pride Parade along with local bars and sponsors are already underway with a number of events scheduled from June 1–June 7. The line-up includes a Quarantine Cocktail Hour, a Rainbow City Chalk Project and an MKE Pride Party Pack Online Auction.
Hamburger Mary’s Pride Weekend showcases its stable of performers in live Socially-Distant Parking Lot Drag Drive-In Shows. Reservations are required.
This Is It!, the city’s oldest gay bar (it celebrated its 50th anniversary last year), has scheduled a four night Virtual Pride. Taking all necessary health safety precautions, owner George Schneider has turned This Is It’s expanded space turned into a recording studio. Live streams and taped sessions will be created with less than 10 people present, social distancing, temperature checks and face masks.
On Thursday June 4, the weekend’s launch (featuring Master of Ceremonies Tempest Heat) takes its cue from PrideFest’s now traditional opening dance party with resident DJs Travvy Trav and K-RAD. Friday night starts off at 5:30 pm with “Back to School Show” hosted by Jaclyn Hyde. The drag extravaganza presents talent from This Is It’s 18 + nights. It will also include random content like messages from local performers, historical photos, and a slide-show. Later in the evening is the now familiar pandemic Drag-a-Thon hosted by Ricky Royale. On Saturday, the Turn-About Show presents bar staff performing in drag hosted by Chanel D’Vine. A special “Generations of Pride” show follows with drag icon Miss B.J. Daniels and others performing a historical Milwaukee review. Finally, on Sunday, Hamburger Mary’s Golden Girls cast performs a script reading of one of the sitcom’s hilarious episodes. The Mad-Town Sunday Take-Over hosted by Bryanna Banx$ concludes the festivities.
|
|
Also on June 6, the Rainbow crosswalks at the intersection of Jackson and Wells Streets are scheduled for a repaint.
Complete schedules and details for all events can be found on social media pages of their respective organizers.
