Pride Guide, June 3, 2005

Pride Erie Picnic moves to fourth Saturday in June

by Michael K. Mahler

Erie, Pa.--Saturday, June 25 is the date for this year�s Pride Erie Picnic.

The picnic, which in previous years was on the second Saturday, is now on the fourth Saturday in June. The event is at the nifty Rotary Pavilion, which is close to the three cabins near the Waterworks Beach in Presque Isle State Park.

The Pride Picnic is from 1 to 6 pm. Food will be served from 2 to 4 pm, and the family portrait will be taken at 4 pm. Photos of the site, as well as previous events, are at the Erie Gay News photo blog at http://www.eriegaynews.com/photoblog.

The location has electricity, a small kitchen with a cooler, a larger dining area, restrooms in the same building, and a lovely floating dock nearby.

Hot dogs, hamburgers and beverages will be provided. Please bring a dish to pass. Paper plates and plastic silverware will be available. Donations gratefully accepted. Those with online access are asked to register before the event at http://www.eriegaynews.com/pride/register.php. Please stop at the check-in table on arrival to either confirm your online registration or fill out the form. Name tags will be available for those who want them.

Please bring a non-perishable item for the Second Harvest Food Bank of Northwest Pennsylvania. Organizers are also asking for volunteers to serve one-hour work shifts in the kitchen area or at the registration table, as well as cleanup. This helps ease the workload for all.

As always, straight friends and families are most heartily welcome. Feel free to bring your children or parents, but parents are responsible for taking care of their kids. There is playground equipment near the pavilion.

The fun will begin at 1 pm with games including the perennial favorite, volleyball. There will be photographers taking photos. You can be in photos or not, as you choose. In addition to the photos of folks enjoying the picnic, there will also be an area where folks can have their photos taken for the Erie Gay News Friends and Supporters web page. Again, all photos are optional. The Erie Gay News will publish the photos on its web site and in an upcoming print edition.

Bring lawn chairs, blankets, rollerblades and sunscreen. Volunteers are asked to help with clean up, cooking and set up. If you would like to volunteer, contact Michael Mahler at 814-4569833; e-mail info@eriegaynews.com or Brian Skelly at 814-4526228; e-mail imcw97@hotmail.com.

Because of state law, alcohol and sales by outside vendors are not permitted. Please respect this. If you bring alcohol, or are obviously drunk, you will be asked to leave the picnic.

For more info on Presque Isle State Park, browse to www.presqueisle.org. If you want to check the current weather or forecast, visit www.goerie.com/weather.

For general info about Erie area, visit either www.goerie.com or www.eriepa.com. And, of course, if you are looking for GLBT resources in the area, look at our resources section at http://www.eriegaynews.com/resources.php.

Michael Mahler is the co-organizer of the Pride Erie Picnic and co-editor of Erie Gay News.

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