From Mathew Harkins. Email him at mharkins[AT]borderstan.com.
Show your Pride. (Luis Gomez Photos)
Looking for the Pride Parade map?
Capital Pride Week may be coming to a close but that means there are still two big events coming up this weekend: the Pride Parade and Festival.
Regularly voted DC’s Best Parade by Washington City Paper, the Pride Parade is a spectacle you shouldn’t miss. As for the Pride Festival, this is the 17th year that the festival is being held on Pennsylvania Avenue between 3rd and 7th Streets NW, complete with entertainers, beverage gardens, food vendors, a dance tent and much more.
Pride Parade
The Pride Parade is tomorrow, Saturday, June 8. It kicks off at 4:30 pm at 22nd and P Streets NW, just west of Dupont Circle. The route will stretch for about a mile and a half, weaving it’s way through the Dupont Circle area before ending at 14th and R Streets NW in the Logan Circle area. This is the first time that the parade will travel north on 14th Street, a testament to how popular this corridor has become.
Organizers expect more than 100,000 spectators to be on hand for the parade this year, so if you’re planning to stake out a good spot to watch, you should do so early. And you’ll want to have a good viewing location as there are more than 170 contingents in the parade from local businesses, Capital Pride Heroes, politicians, drag queens and more. The contingents are made up of floats, vehicles, entertainers and whatever else people can think of.
Lynda Carter, best known for her role as “Wonder Woman,” will be serving as Super Grand Marshal of the parade this year. For a list of all the award categories this year, check out Capital Pride Parade Awards page, and for a list of the winners from last year, check out Borderstan’s write-up on the parade.
Pride Festival
After all the excitement of the Pride Parade on Saturday, keep the weekend fun going by heading over to the Pride Festival on Sunday, June 9, on Pennsylvania Avenue between 3rd and 7th Streets NW. Exhibit hours are from 12 to 7 pm and the main stage activities will continue until sunset. With the Capitol Building as the backdrop, expect to join more than 150,000 spectators taking in the entertainers and politicians; enjoying the food and drink at the two beverage gardens, at Taste @ Pride, or at any of the many food vendors on hand.
There will be three stages at the festival with a range of local and national entertainers. At the Capitol Stage, located at the east end of the festival, the featured headliners include: Emeli Sandé, Icona Pop and Cher Lloyd. The Dupont Stage, located more toward the center of the festival, will have various styles of entertainers (featured headliner: Eric Himan and the Soultre Singers) and promises to be a bit more relaxing. The Monument Dance Tent is a new addition to the festival this year and will primarily feature DJs and will be equipped with a shaded dance floor.
This entire weekend is going to make for quite the Pride party – we hope to see you out there!
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From Mathew Harkins. Email him at mharkins[AT]borderstan.com.
Comedy on the Table at Velvet Lounge. (Luis Gomez Photos)
Show your support for Capital Pride while supporting local comedians by heading over to the Velvet Lounge this Friday, June 7, for Comedy on the Table. If you’ve been in DC long enough, you’re sure to have heard of this biannual comedy event. If you haven’t heard of it, listen up as it’s completely worth your time.
Comedy on the Table is a comedy show that began as a way to highlight some of the funniest women performing in DC while supporting local causes and organizations. The inspiration came from Permanent Wave, a feminist collective based in New York that would put on benefit concerts that showcased female musicians.
Since beginning in October 2011, Comedy on the Table has expanded to include male comedians as well. Some of the participants this time around have been performing in the area for upwards of four years while others are a bit newer.
A Great Night For Great Comedy
Organizer and performer, Valerie Paschall, told me that many of the performers from previous Comedy on the Table events have gone on to acclaim at even bigger events. Some, she said, have “gone on to win local comedy competitions, open for touring acts at the Improv and Arlington Drafthouse and get slots on the Women in Comedy Festival in Boston.” With a cover charge of only $5, this might be your best opportunity to see some of the funniest comedians around.
For this show, Comedy on the Table will be returning to the Velvet Lounge for the third time. They’ve been known to pack the house, so be sure to get there on time. And because this show only happens twice a year, you’re guaranteed a new slate of comedians from previous shows (with the exception of the very funny and friendly organizer/comedian, Valerie Paschall).
Details for the show are:
- The place: Velvet Lounge
- The cover charge: $5 (and there are always sweet drink specials at Velvet Lounge)
- The start time: 7 pm doors, 7:30 pm show time.
- The lineup: Kat Timpf, Michal Ketner, Dana Bell, Glo, Curt Mariah, Valerie Paschall. Hosted by Matty Litwack.
For this show, Comedy on the Table will be supporting Capital Pride. Past beneficiaries have included House of Ruth, Martha’s Table and HIPS.
For even more information, along with videos of some of the performers, check out the event’s Facebook page.
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From Mathew Harkins. Email him at mharkins[AT]borderstan.com.
Drag Kickball at Stead Park on P Street NW. Click above for images from 2012. (Luis Gomez Photos)
It wouldn’t be Capital Pride Week without the Third Annual Stonewall Kickball DragBall. That’s right, it’s time for a matchup between “Stonewall kickball players in drag and DCs loveliest Queens in kickball uniforms.”
The game takes place this Sunday, June 2, from 3 to 6 pm at Stead Park (1625 P Street NW). Come cheer on your favorite team and players as they run the bases as fast as they can in their heels.
If that bit of entertainment isn’t enough to bring you out, know that the games are being staged to support and raise money for the DC Center and Capital Pride. Organizers are asking for $5 donations, which include entry, a raffle ticket, and access to the after party at Cobalt.
Click to see photos of last year’s tournament from Borderstan photographer Luis Gomez.
For more information or to RSVP, check out the Kickball DragBall Facebook page.
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Pride is here. Photos from 2012. (Luis Gomez Photos)
From Mathew Harkins. Email him at mharkins[AT]borderstan.com.
As of last night, Capital Pride Week is officially underway in DC. The opening events on Wednesday included the 2nd Annual Jewish Pride Happy Hour and the Heroes Gala, an annual event honoring those that have “helped to enrich the community and reflect the values and mission of Capital Pride.”
But don’t worry in case you missed out on these events. From now through June 9, there will be plenty of parties, town hall meetings, games and much more. And that’s all before the big events of the Pride Parade on the 8th and the Closing Party on the 9th. Open to any and all, for those within the LGBT community and/or those that support the LGBT community, Capital Pride Week is a great way to connect with your neighbors and neighborhood.
A Brief History of Pride Week
Capital Pride Week has existed in DC in one form or another for the past 38 years. In 1975, Deacon Maccubbin organized the first event, which was essentially a one-day block party and was held on 20th Street. Since then, the event has steadily grown to the point where instead of being organized by one individual, it’s now run by Capital Pride Alliance, Inc. Instead of being contained to one day and one city block, Pride Week now stretches close to two weeks with events taking place all around DC.
Volunteer or Stay Informed
If you enjoy celebrating and want to get more hands-on with making sure everything goes according to plan at Pride Week, it’s not too late to volunteer. Just head over to the registration page and become one of the many people that make this annual event run so smoothly.
Or, if you would simply like to be kept aware of any news or updates, register with your email address to stay informed. The full list of events can also be found here.
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From Rachel Nania. Check out her blog, Sear, Simmer & Stir. Follow Nania on Twitter @rnania, email her at rachel[AT]borderstan.com.
DC’s Capital Pride Parade 2012. (Luis Gomez Photos)
At last week’s ANC 2F meeting, Capital Pride announced it will change the end of the parade’s route. In the past, the parade turned south after 14th and P Streets NW to end in Thomas Circle. This year, the parade will head north on 14th and end at S Street NW.
A map of this year’s Pride Parade is available on the Capital Pride website. The 2013 parade will take place on Saturday, June 8 at 4:30 pm.
As in past years, the parade will begin at P and 22nd Streets NW. It will go around Dupont Circle, up New Hampshire to R, down 17th Street and then east along P Street before hitting 14th Street.
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