Special to IFN
The march to kick off the fourth annual Statesville Pride Festival will begin at 11:45 a.m. on Saturday, September 27, in Downtown. Walkers, accompanied by convertibles, will travel from Tradd Street along Broad Street toward Mitchell Community College. The festival will begin at 12 noon, when the parade arrives at Meeting Street, and runs through 4 p.m.
Statesville Pride Alliance President Dennis Brown will read the official proclamation signed on Wednesday declaring September 27 as a special day dedicated to the celebration of all people, LGTBQIA+ and their families, friends, loved ones and allies.
This year’s festival will feature an expanded area with twice as many vendors and food trucks and new activities added for children of all ages, organizers said.
The theme of this year’s event is “Over the Rainbow,” sparked in part by the presence of Marsha Lambertson, the world’s premier female balloonist who is bringing her official MGM 75th Anniversary Wizard of Oz hot air balloon. The balloon will be the centerpiece of the festival. If the weather permits, tethered rides will be offered from the green space at Broad Street United Methodist Church.
The Main Stage, furnished by Scott Caldwell of Sound Check Live, will host musicians, vocalists and drag performers from Cardboard Castles Productions in Hickory. Miss Jamie Monroe, entertainer extraordinaire from Salisbury, will be the mistress of ceremonies.
Participating local businesses include The Watering Hole and Foxy Roxy’s Pizza. Several food trucks, including Dragon Dogs, Bossman’s Big Bitz, The Blue Plate, The Coffee Dewd, Yum! Baking and TasteTations by Tan will be on site.
There will be a raffle of assorted items and a great grand prize with drawings held every 45 minutes. There will also be a Kids’ Zone. Retailer Julie Carpenter with MerMade of Statesville will be part of the Zone with take-home crafts, and Josh Dickens of Artist’s Escape will be there demonstrating and teaching art techniques. There will also be an Oz coloring station for kids. There will also be bubbles, balloons and a giant inflatable slide.
In keeping with the theme, Theatre Statesville is hosting a Wizard of Oz Costume Contest. Categories are listed on the Statesville Pride Alliance Website and Facebook pages.
“There are so many sponsors and supporters helping to make this celebration of inclusion and love for one another so special, and we invite you to join us for just four hours of peace and harmony out of your year,” a Statesville Pride Alliance spokesperson said.
Just do not understand why a certain group of people are put on a pedestal and celebrated. How about celebrating police, firemen, first responders , doctors , nurses or just people in general?
Then they need to organize one like the Pride Alliance did. You could volunteer to lead it.
There is no way I would let my kids participate in any of this. It’s ok to be who you want but, how confusing to a child to see a man dressed up in drag like a woman. Principals people! You need to read the Bible.
WHAT’S THE WORLD COMING TOO? EVERYONE THINKS THE WORLD OWES THEM SOMETHING BECAUSE THEIR “SPECIAL” BECAUSE YOU’RE MIXED UP ON HOW GOD MADE YOU. DONT TRY TO PUSH IT IN EVERYONE’S FACE! THE WORLDS SCREWED UP ENOUGH AS IT IS WITHOUT ANYTHING EXTRA! THE RAINBOW WAS A SIGN FROM GOD HE WOULD NEVER DESTROY THE EARTH AGAIN. HE’S NOT DOING IT. EVERYONE ELSE IS!
No need for pearl clutching. No one is forcing anyone to participate. And the kids will be fine. Besides, I was exposed to cross dressing at a young age thanks to Bugs Bunny cartoons.
Not to mention Milton Berle and Bob Hope… 🙂
This is wrong. Statesville should not promote it.
I feel very sorry that the leaders in our community & the promoters of this event are encouraging this sad & ungodly lifestyle. God created Male & Female. Anyone trying to play God & reverse His creation is misguided & unwise. Recent events validate this Truth. You are in my prayers.
This is wrong on so many levels. Time for a new mayor.
Way to go Statesville!! We can’t make it this year but hope to in the future. Celebrate loud enough to drown out the protesters. Go Statesville!!!
The existence of Gay, Trans, and Nonbinary people is not a threat to you. If anything, these communities have saved the very lives you’ve so easily discarded.
We have built chosen families when you slammed the door on your own children. We’ve set extra plates at the table for the ones you said were no longer welcome.
You say children don’t understand drag—yet Bugs Bunny in a dress, Mrs. Doubtfire with a wig, and Robin Williams’ Genie in full camp taught me more about joy, creativity, and play than your sermons ever did. If drag corrupts children, then Saturday morning cartoons were the first drag brunches.
Let me go ahead and say it plain:
People deserve the right to exist. People are valid. People who aren’t like you also love God, fill His sanctuaries, and actually live like the hands and feet of Jesus.
Times Jesus spoke about gay people: 0.
Times Jesus warned us not to judge: over 30. (Matthew 7:1, John 8:7, James 4:12, and more).
So I’ll be bold—if your gospel requires erasing, excluding, or condemning people who bear the image of God, then it’s not the gospel of Jesus Christ. It’s just your prejudice dressed up in Scripture.
Don’t mistake your fear for holiness, your judgment for righteousness, or your hate for God’s will. Because the truth is—God’s love is louder, wider, and stronger than your fear could ever be.
I 100% support people’s rights to attend or not. If this celebration of inclusiveness offends you then don’t go!