Space Coast Pride Festival Weekend September 23-25 in Melbourne, Florida
Industry: Non Profit & Charity
September 24th Pride Parade, Street Festival and Weekend-long Celebration to Honor “Local Heroes” and Pay Special Tribute to Those Who Were Lost at Orlando Pulse
Melbourne, Florida (PRUnderground) August 30th, 2016
Thousands will converge on the East Coast of Florida to celebrate pride and equality at the ninth Annual Space Coast Pride Festival, Sept. 23-25, 2016 (www.spacecoastpride.org). The weekend-long celebration will include events, entertainment, vendors, food & drink, gatherings, special kids events—and the Space Coast Pride street parade. Located one hour east of Orlando, Space Coast Pride expects to draw thousands of people from across the state and throughout the country to help honor local heroes and pay tribute to those who were lost at Orlando Pulse.
Saturday afternoon, September 24, from 12:00 noon to 7:00 p.m. will be the highlight of the weekend—the Space Coast Pride parade and street festival—with indoor and outdoor areas for merchants, musicians and entertainers, food vendors, and a special area just for kids. Starting at 6:00 p.m., the parade will begin and participants will carry two sections of the Key West “sea-to-sea” flag down Highland Avenue toward the Eau Gallie Square. The sea-to-sea flag was introduced in 2003 and spanned 1.25 miles from the Gulf of Mexico to the Atlantic Ocean in a showing of openness and pride.
“The theme of this year’s Space Coast Pride is honoring local heroes, during which we will honor the individuals who were tragically lost at the Orlando Pulse nightclub with a moment of silence and symbolic release of doves,” said Lexi Wright, President of Space Coast Pride, Inc. “Immediately following the tribute we will dance to music and celebrate peace, love and equality–because that is exactly what they were doing.”
The festival’s special guest and parade grand marshal is Jorge Estevez joined by Martha Sugalski. Additional grand marshals include Lexi Wright founder of PFLAG Melbourne & current President of Space Coast Pride; Robin Bailey; Natalie Barden and Jo Denning, Rainbow Youth of Brevard; Derek Gores, locally and nationally renowned artist who designed the current Space Coast Pride logo and 2015 poster art.
Here’s what to expect, including event and hotel information, and Pride-themed events leading up to and during the festival weekend: https://www.spacecoastpride.org/2016-pride-schedule.html. This year’s host hotel is the Radisson Suite Hotel Oceanfront in Melbourne Beach, where several gatherings and poolside events will take place. A special rate is available for guests at: https://www.spacecoastpride.org/hotel-partners.html.
The Space Coast of Florida is centrally located about one hour east of Orlando, and a few hours driving distance from Miami, Fort Lauderdale, West Palm Beach, Tampa and Jacksonville. Visitors can also fly in to the Orlando Melbourne International Airport (MLB), which is located less than 15 minutes from the festival grounds and host hotel. Airlines that fly in and out of MLB include Delta, American, Porter, and Elite Airways, which offers twice-weekly nonstops between MLB and Long Island, NY; Portland, ME and Naples, FL.
About Space Coast Pride LLC
Space Coast Pride, Inc. is the LGBT community organization for Brevard County, Florida and a non-profit 501(c)3 charitable organization. Now in its 9th year and centered just one hour east of Orlando, the Space Coast Pride will take place September 23-25, 2016 in Melbourne, Florida and at the host hotel, the Melbourne Beach Radisson Oceanfront. For more information, visit www.spacecoastpride.org.
