Cleveland and Columbus Prides are back on separate weekends

by Anthony Glassman

Cleveland--Dates have been set for Pride festivities in Cleveland and Columbus this upcoming June, and the two will be back on separate weekends.

Last year, construction forced Columbus LGBT Pride onto the third weekend in June. Organizers of the Cleveland event, normally on that weekend, were unable to book Voinovich Park for a week later, so the two events were at the same time.

Because of continued reconstruction in Bicentennial Park and other commitments for Goodale Park, Columbus Pride will again be on the third weekend in June in 2010, June 18 and 19.

This year, however, Cleveland Pride was able to book Voinovich Park for the second Saturday, June 12, meaning the two festivals will not overlap.

Pride Youngstown, for its second outing, will be held June 4-6, which is also the traditional weekend of the Cincinnati Pride festivities. However, since the two cities are in opposite corners of the state, little crossover exists between the two constituencies.

Cincinnati Pride will be spearheaded this year by the Greater Cincinnati Gay Chamber of Commerce, taking over for the GLBT Center of Greater Cincinnati, who picked up organizing duties when the previous Pride board bowed out after a hoped-for influx of new blood failed to materialize. After disbanding the Pride board in September 2004, the GLBT Center stepped in to organize the 2005 festival, and has been filling that role since.

There is no information posted yet for the dates of Pride festivals in Dayton or Cincinnati, although, Cincinnati usually takes the first weekend in June.

Dayton tends to break its celebration up between two weekends, with a festival and parade on one weekend and a business expo and community dinner on another.

To keep abreast of Pride festival planning, or to volunteer, go to the individual organization�s websites:

www.clevelandpride.org

www.columbuspride.org

www.prideyoungstown.com

www.pridedayton.com

http://gaychambercincinnati.typepad.com

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