INC NEWS - Pride Parade is Saturday: pls join us at 12:45 (East Campus & West Main)

[John Schelp]

Dear neighbors,

The annual NC Pride Parade will take place on
Saturday, Sept 30. The parade starts at East Campus
and West Main. 

Once again, organizers expect to draw thousands from
North Carolina and beyond, calling the NC PrideFest
weekend "the biggest feel good event of the year."

And, once again, we'll be marching near the front of
the parade. 

The parade is always fun. All are welcome!

Please join us Saturday at 12:45 at East Campus and
West Main. Right before 1PM, Ninth, Green, Broad and
West Main will be closed and parking will be hard to
find.  

The parade starts promptly at 1PM -- so please don't
be late. It's kind of embarrassing to start off a
parade with one or two people. Though, it's always a
delight to turn up a colorful, bedecked Ninth Street
with a full OWD contingent. :)

hope to see you Saturday,

John Schelp
Old West Durham Neighborhood Association
Diversity, Harmony, Community

PS
The parade route goes along West Main to Broad St, up
to Green St, across to Ninth and back to East Campus.
If you see our group along the route, please join us.
At the end, we stand on the side of the road  and
watch the rest of the parade as it comes up West Main.

****

Here's the schedule, more background and link...

NOON: Pride Rally with Speakers and Dignitaries
including address by Assistant City Attorney - Sherri
Rosenthal - Keynote speaker, Former Air Force Sergeant
Bruce Wyatt, and City Councilman Mark Kleinschmidt,
Dr. Janie Long of Duke University, Ms. Connie Vetter
this year's Parade Marshall and special performance by
singer/songwrinter Jamie Montoya and also the NC Pride
Quartet.

12:45 PM: PARADE LINE UP TO MARCH with African Drums  

1:00 PM: Parade Begins (Official Reviewing Stand at
Madhatter's Cafe at the corner of Main and Broad St.
and Official viewing stand Party serving Drinks at
Sirens Lounge, Broad and Markham St. in Old West
Durham)

"PrideFest in the Durham-Raleigh area is known for
being amazingly upbeat and positive," says Keith
Hayes, spokesperson for the Pride Committee of North
Carolina. "We've never had a protest. The straight
community steps way out in support. So the parade in
Durham is a flawless celebration, and those good vibes
turn the nighttime activities in Raleigh and elsewhere
into the biggest and brightest NC party of the year." 

In 2005, an estimated 10,000 people from across North
Carolina, across the Southeast and as far away of
Ohio, New York and California attended PrideFest
activities. This year's PrideFest weekend activities
and attendance numbers are expected to match or exceed
those of 2005. (source: NCPride.org)

****