What to know as COVID forces Charlotte Pride to rework its parade and some festivals
Charlotte Pride’s large parade has been moved to a virtual broadcast with small watch parties and its remaining events have been changed to a hybrid of virtual and smaller in-person gatherings, organizers announced on Monday, Sept. 20.
August and September’s Pride events had previously been postponed due to the area’s rising COVID-19 rates.
“We know it’s not the news any of us wants to hear,” said Clark Simon (he/him), vice president of Charlotte Pride in a video posted to Facebook.
Last month, Pride organizers told the community that any in-person Pride events would be held based on higher vaccination rates, lower positivity rates and decreased community spread, said Daniel Valdez (he/him/his), president of the Charlotte Pride board of directors.
“We have not seen key pandemic indicators significantly improve in the four weeks since we announced event postponements,” Valdez said. “Despite our initial optimism and strong desire to see the return of our traditional festival and parade, the reality of the pandemic means we must take serious precautions to safeguard the health and well-being of our valuable and vulnerable community.”
The large, in-person events we have seen in years past will instead look a bit different. This year, a virtual celebration will pair with smaller gatherings, including Pride pop-up shops at LGBTQ-friendly businesses, a scavenger hunt and more.
Pride events will begin October 16 and will go through November 14. Charlotte Pridestream will be Saturday, Oct. 23 from 7-10 p.m.
Here are the details for the new events:
POP-UP SHOPS
When: Saturday, Oct. 16
Where: To be announced
Get your Pride T-Shirts and other swag at locations around Charlotte. Details about location and time will be announced.
SCAVENGER HUNT
When: Saturday, Oct. 16-Sunday, Nov. 14
Where: Plaza Midwood
Explore Plaza Midwood’s LGBTQ-friendly neighborhood and businesses while searching for prizes and Pride swag. This will be hosted on the Charlotte Pride mobile app. Details to be announced.
DRAG PAGEANT
When: Friday, Oct. 22, 8-10pm
Where: Broadcast Live
Gather your quarantine bubble for an at-home watch party or head out to small gatherings around the city for this year’s Pride Drag Pageant. Details to be announced.
MASK-QUEERADE BAR CRAWL
When: Saturday, Oct. 23, 1 p.m.
Where: South End
Cost: $20 in advance, $25 day-of
Time Out Youth and Charlotte Pride will host a Mask-Queerade Bar Crawl. Tickets are now on sale.
CHARLOTTE PRIDESTREAM
When: Saturday, Oct. 23, 7-10 p.m.
Where: Broadcast live from the iHeartRadio Charlotte Studios
The Charlotte Pridestream will host local community entertainers, leaders, and speakers. Look forward to live performances, tributes and remarks. You can Join a watch party at community establishments across the city or watch at home with your besties. Details to be announced.
INTERFAITH SERVICE
When: Sunday, Oct. 24, 6 p.m.
Where: Broadcast live from St. John’s Baptist Church
The annual Charlotte Pride Interfaith Service will broadcast live from the sanctuary at St. John’s Baptist Church. Keynote speaker will be the Rev. Clifford Matthews Jr., senior pastor of St. Luke Missionary Baptist Church.
REEL OUT CHARLOTTE
When: Friday, Nov. 5-Sunday, Nov. 7
Where: To be announced and online
Charlotte’s annual LGBTQ film festival, Reel Out Charlotte, will host an in-person, outdoor, double-feature film screening. It will also unveil its annual short films screenings and competition in a live online broadcast. Details to be announced.
JOB FAIR & COMMUNITY CONFERENCE
When: Saturday, November 13, 9 a.m.-5 p.m.
Where: Virtual
Details to be announced on the job fair and community conference.
CHARLOTTE PRIDE FREE STORE
When: Sunday, November 14
Where: To be announced
The Charlotte Pride Free Store will be stocked with new and gently loved clothes and other essentials for community members in need. Details to be announced.
This story was originally published August 23, 2021 at 4:22 PM.