lexington pride festival postponed until june 25, 2022

It is with very sad hearts that we announce the postponement of the Lexington Pride Festival scheduled for September 25, 2021 until June 25, 2022. We know how many folks were looking forward to the festival this fall. After more than a year of isolation, loneliness, and anxiety we had very much wanted to have the celebration of Lexington Pride sooner rather than later.

Our plan had been to implement protocols that other large festivals have successfully used to keep their events safe in recent months. In moving forward with logistics to make this happen, we found it would not be possible in our usual location in the Courthouse Plaza. We have considered moving to a different location, but have been unable to find an appropriate space that is available so close to the event. With the rising numbers of new COVID-19 cases & the inability to guarantee a safe environment for all festival attendees, we felt there was no other choice than to cancel.

This has been a very difficult decision for our team to make and is definitely not the outcome we wanted. We owe huge thanks to the Lex Pride Festival Planning Committee, which is primarily made up of community volunteers who have invested hundreds of collective hours of unpaid labor to help make Lexington Pride Festival happen in 2021. This is an event that takes a full year to plan, and the only pay off for those volunteering is the satisfaction of seeing the community enjoying the festival. We want to give thanks to our amazing crew including Dustin Combs,Tiffany Dupont, Ryan Lark, Hunter Malone, Eric T. Morrow, David Pascale-Hague, Aaron Powers, Austin Stephenson, Cat Taylor, Burley Thomas, and Shannon Wampler-Collins.

We also want to acknowledge our incredible sponsors and vendors. The festival would not be possible without their support. Please continue to support those who support the LGBTQIA+ community by doing business with our sponsors and vendors all year long. Sponsors and vendors have already been contacted about options for moving forward. If you are a sponsor or vendor and you have not heard from a member of the LexPride team, please reach out to us at officemanager@pcsoky.org. We will be acknowledging and celebrating those organizations who remain invested in the festival in the months leading up to the rescheduled event.

While we are disappointed about this delay, we are still looking forward to the time when it’s safe enough for our community to celebrate LGBTQIA+ Pride together in Lexington. We hope to see  you all in June for the long overdue Lexington Pride Celebration.

In the meantime, you are encouraged to join other Lexington pride events & PCSO in-person or digital events until then. Feel free to follow us at www.facebook.com/LexPrideFest & www.facebook.com/LexPrideCenter for updates. In addition, our Pride Center on Waller Avenue is available to provide support, services, and connection for the LGBTQIA+ community in Kentucky all year long. Stop by and see us at 389 Waller Avenue, email us at officemanager@pcsoky.org or give us a call at 859-253-3233 to let us know what you need or just to visit.
 

One way you can help us return to an in-person LGBTQIA+ Pride Fetival is by getting your COVID-19 vaccination. The more people who receive vaccinations, the more likely it is that we'll be able to get back to an in-person festival. 

Please direct any questions to Jeremy Ellis, Chair of the 2021 Lexington Pride Festival at jellis@lexpridefest.org.