Plans for both in-person and online options set Pride up for success in 2021
(Eugene, OR) Pride Day Equality Project, the non-profit organization that produces Eugene’s annual Pride in the Park Festival, has begun preparations for the 2021 Pride activities here in Eugene. This year marks the 30th year (29th event as a result of last year’s festival cancellation due to the ongoing COVID-19 crisis) of Pride celebrations and is a chance to both celebrate the strong LGBTQIA+ community and make up for missing out last year.
After last year’s cancellation, organizers joined forces with Black Unity to host a March for Black Trans Lives and turned their energies toward ways to improve the event in 2021. Among the topics of discussion have been accessibility concerns and needs, highlighting and elevating the voices of the BIPOC and Trans members of the community, COVID safety protocols, and expansion of the festival.
Pride Day Equality Project is currently planning to host the festival on the second Saturday in August (8/14) at Alton Baker Park. Due to COVID restrictions, plans may need to shift so the team is planning online opportunities side-by-side with the in-person options. In order to help support social distancing mandates, the Pride in the Park festival will utilize more park space than in past years and stage performances may have various locations. In addition to the main festival, several June and July events are being planned to spread Pride throughout the summer.
The EugPride Planning Team is made up of dedicated volunteers who commit their time from January to August to make Pride in the Park happen and they need the support of others in the community. There are several positions open on the Board of Directors, including Treasurer and Member-at-Large. There are also several positions open on the Planning Team, including Vendor Coordinator, Food Coordinator, and Accessibility Coordinator. Position descriptions are available for each role.
Planning meetings are open to the public and are currently held via Zoom on the 3rd Sunday of each month at 2:30pm. Pride Day Equality Project invites anyone interested in participating to join the meetings and be a part of making Pride happen in Eugene.
In addition to celebrating the LGBTQIA+ community, the Festival raises money for youth scholarships for community members who are attending college that are members of the queer community or children of LGBTQIA+ individuals.
For more information, please contact:
Eugene Pride:
Bill Sullivan, Board Chair - event@eugene-pride.org
Marlie Heberling, Marketing Coordinator - marketing@eugene-pride.org