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Inaugural PrideFest Newsletter - June 2023
Who We Are
Thank you for subscribing to the MidMO PrideFest newsletter! This is the first of many exciting editions to come! In this edition, you will find a brief introduction to our event and what our year looks like! We hope it is informative, educational, and builds excitement for the event each fall!
DID YOU KNOW? MidMO PrideFest is an all-volunteer organization! We are a 501(c)(3) and our board consists of 4 executive members, and around 12 committee/chairs members. We hope in the near future to obtain an Executive Director who can help us build and grow our vision for the community even further!
Our focus is on total inclusivity, which includes all genders, sexual orientations, religions and backgrounds! In order to teach inclusivity, we MUST BE INCLUSIVE! We believe in listening, learning and growing in all ways in our community. Take a moment to check out who we are!
It takes nearly 125 volunteers to run the event!
We only take ONE month off from planning each year!
We host MANY events throughout the year leading up to PrideFest in the fall!
We’ve expanded from 124 vendors to over 170 this year!
The Board works from 7am-midnight each day to make it happen!
We have a Royal Court that consist of a King, Queen, Regent and Youth Royal!
Introduction To Our Planning Year
Each year our planning sessions begin in January, after a well-deserved break for the month of December. All of our planning meetings are on the 4th Wednesday of the month at The Center Project from 6:30-8:30 or 9:00 pm. A LOT goes into this endeavor, and one meeting each month is typically packed with tons of information! We spend the first few months of the year, planning the logistics of the event before announcing dates, locations, and programs. A lot has to happen before we can go live!
Our timeline looks similar each year, so you can be on the lookout for information regularly. Of course, all of the timeline is subject to change, contingent upon the outcomes of availability, etc. We also have a few other events that are subject to date change each year such as the pub crawl, Gayeset Pet Contest and Youth Talent Show, and Pageants.
- Planning Begins – January
- Date Announcement – February/March
- Sponsorship Opening – March/April
- Pageants – June
- Gayest Pet Contest and Youth Talent Show – June
- Headliner announcements – June (pageant & social media)
- Sponsorship Closing – end of July
- Volunteer Sign-Up – July to August
- Event Finalization – August/early September
- Sponsorship Instructions – August
- Wrap-up/Feedback- October
- End Of Year – November
- Break – December
Our Other Events
Pub and Grub Crawl
Our pub crawl is always a super fun fundraiser for all of us! The community puts on PrideFest completely, and we couldn’t do it without you!
Gayest Pet Contest & Youth Talent Show featuring TCP’s Rainbow Ride
Each year we host a Pet Competition and Youth Talent Show in June. It doesn’t cost a thing to participate. This year’s event was simply awesome! So many folks came out in support of us and our partner, The Center Project!
Pride Youth Pageant Winner
Krystal Queer
Our 2023 Youth Pageant on June 2nd was amazing and the support from the community was overwhelming! Thank you all fo your supprt and love! Check out the article about it here.
Pride Adult Pageant Winners
Our 2023 Adult Pageant came to a close with three amazing individuals joining this year’s court. The talent and artistry was endless and the evening was beyond what we could have imagined!
PrideFest 2023
BIG NEWS!! WE HAVE EXPANDED OUR FOOTPRINT TO ST. JAMES
In Past years, our footprint has ended at the corner of Park and St. James St. THIS year, we are proud to announce that we will expand all the way down St. James, including many beloved sponsors on the street including, Dogmaster Distillery, Talking Horse Productions and more!
We have a lot in store for you this year! We are thrilled for yet another big expansion, giving us the opportunity to eliminate our waitlist, add even more food vendors, and offer more new things for you to enjoy!
You can always expect:
- Tons of live entertainment
- Headlining Drag Shows each night
- Food Trucks for meal purchases
- Both Alcoholic and alcohol-free beverages to purchase
- PrideFest merch in the Information Trailer
- History Tents dedicated to Missouri and national LGBTQIA+ history
- Huge Family Area with tons of activities for all ages up to 18
- VIP purchase options
- Over 170 vendor booths and growing, with too many awesome things to name them all
- Health Pavilion for information gathering, some testing and First Aid tent
- Parade
Entertainment
HEADLINERS
We’re excited to announce that this year’s Sunday night Headliner will be none other than THE Kennedy Davenport from RuPaul’s Drag Race! Stay tuned on our social media for the release of our Saturday headliner!
Music, and more!
We have a wonderful local line-up for you to enjoy this year so far! But of course, with the festival a few months away, it is still being laid out. From SoulRoot’s wide genre of music that gets you on your feet, to the soulful sounds of Frankie DoWop, you will not be disappointed! Schedules will be posted on our social media starting in mid-July, through August!
