It’s PrideFest! Before I begin, I should acknowledge I’m a member of the Milwaukee Pride board of directors. PrideFest is our main event. I’ve been serving on the board for a decade. But, to be honest, even if I were not so intimately involved, I would be writing this column.
So here we are. It’s the first weekend of June and the weather forecast is near perfect for the first of Milwaukee’s world festivals on the lake. In all modesty, PrideFest truly is the grandest celebration of LGBT culture in the Midwest and perhaps the entire country. Although other cities may have bigger events with larger attendance (PrideFest has been consistently topping well over 30,000 visitors in recent years), the sheer breadth of its offerings is unsurpassed. Take Chicago’s Pride and its Pride Parade. They have events throughout the whole month. Of course, with an LGBT populations several times that of Milwaukee’s, there’s always a crowd and lots of bands, floats and marchers in the parade. And, spread throughout town, there are parties, parties and more parties.
By contrast, PrideFest is an intense three-day festival on the enclosed lakefront grounds of Henry Maier Festival Park where absolutely everyone celebrates together. It’s recognized as one of the most inclusive, safe and welcoming Pride events in the country. It literally offers everything from exotic belly dancers, food and fireworks to a volleyball tournament with everything in between. It begins even before you enter the gate with members of Parents and Friends of Lesbians and Gays (PFLAG) serving as a welcoming committee. Once you enter the grounds, you have all of Milwaukee’s LGBT community to explore and enjoy. And where else can families mingle with furries and the Abbey of the Brew City Sisters party with leather guys and lesbians?
There are a dozen venues and stages showcasing national name and local entertainers. The Miller Lite Mainstage leads the bill featuring great legends of music and comedy as well as new, up-and-coming regional talent. Then, among others, there are the Children’s and Family Stage, Milwaukee Gay Arts Center Stage, and the LGBT Community Center’s Loft Lounge. Meanwhile, the Stonewall Stage provides informational and educational conversations on foster parenting, family law, birth options and much, much more. You can relive or study our LGBT past at the Milwaukee History Project display in the Art and Culture Building. Of course, for a relaxing respite from the hustle and bustle below, there’s the Wom!nz Spot Lounge and Café, an intimate second-floor elevator-accessible space offering live entertainment with a wom!nz touch.
Finally, the Dance Pavilion’s international DJ lineup will keep things throbbing and pounding to the latest music mixes. Trixie Mattel, our own hometown drag queen who made it big, brings her exclusive Trixie’s Funhouse experience to the Pavilion as well.
I could go on and on and on. But, what is truly amazing about the Milwaukee Pride organization is that it is entirely run by volunteers under the unflappable guidance of its president, Scott Gunkel. Straight or gay, it’s one festival on the lake you cannot miss.
