Sarasota Pride begins week-long festival Oct. 24

Sarasota Pride begins week-long festival Oct. 24

Cindy Barnes is hopeful that the reinvented Sarasota Pridefest will bring impressive crowds to J.B. Hamil Park on Saturday, Oct. 30.

For the first time in its history, Sarasota Pride will be in the fall and completely outdoors. In previous years Pride was held at the Van Wezel Performing Arts Hall in May. The new venue has piqued excitement, according to Barnes.

“The response has been overwhelming,” Barnes said. “People come up to me and say, ‘Thank you for bringing Pride to the street and for getting it out of the heat.’”

CBarnes_445288085.jpgSarasota Pridefest 2010 runs from noon to 6 p.m. and will include several entertainers—including the Double M Band, Karmic Tattoo and Diversity. A dunking booth is also planned and will feature local celebrities including Mayor Kelly Kirschner, representatives of a League of Our Own and members of the Watermark staff. There is no entry fee and money collected from the sale of T-shirts and special tumbler drinks will go back to Sarasota Pridefest. Barnes said she has already started planning the 2011 event for next October.

Barnes said she has made a conscious effort to not put competing companies or politicians near each other at the festival and that she extended invitations to participate to both Republican and Democratic candidates from around the state. As of press time, only one campaign had responded and agreed to participate—Kendrick Meek’s.

“I’m not sure if he will be here, but his campaign does have a booth,” Barnes said. “If other campaigns want to join us they can certainly contact me.”

Nearly 90 volunteers have agreed to help with the festival, but more help is always appreciated. Anyone interested in volunteering should contact Barnes at the number below.

But Sarasota Pride is more than just about the party in the park. Sarasota Pride week actually begins Sunday, Oct. 24, with a walk across the Ringling Bridge at 1 p.m. Barnes is expecting at least 1,000 people, if not several thousand more.

For more details on Sarasota Pridefest and a full schedule of week-long events, visit SarasotaPride.org or contact Barnes at 941-320-9268.

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