Pride London Festival

Pride London Festival Launches New Website!

2011-03-23T12:04:00.000-07:00

http://pridelondon.ca/ - check it out!

You can also follow Pride here:

TWITTER:
http://twitter.com/prideldnfest

FACEBOOK:
http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=63272414275

Also, the blog feed can be found here: http://pridelondon.ca/feed/

This blog will no longer be updated.

Pride 2010 Annual General Meeting

2010-10-18T07:31:00.000-07:00

Please join us at the Pride London Festival AGM on Thursday, Oct. 28, 2010 at 7:00 pm at the Needham Reception Centre.

If you wish to participate and vote then your membership must be up to date.

Annual Membership Fee - $10.00
...
To begin or renew a membership, please send an application with your *name, *address, *telephone number, and *email address, along with a cheque made payable to ‘Pride London Festival’, to:

Ken Sadler, Secretary
23 Berkshire Court, London, ON N6J 3N8
kwfs1@rogers.com

Memberships can also be purchased at the door.

BOARD OF DIRECTORS

If you are interested in allowing your name to stand at the Annual General Meeting for election to the ‘Board of Directors’ of Pride London Festival, please submit your membership application form (see above) and membership fee ($10), along with a resume and the specific areas to which you feel you would be most interested in contributing, to the Secretary, Ken Sadler, at the address listed above.

*************PLEASE SPREAD THE WORD!**************

For more information contact bev@pridelondon.ca or dj@pridelondon.ca.

Facebook event for AGM here.

Live to Air Pride Dance at Downtown Kathy Brown's!

2010-07-23T05:24:00.000-07:00

That's right, join us at Downtown Kathy Brown's on Saturday, July 24 to dance the night away to 80s and 90s hits in London's biggest and best Retro Dance Party, broadcast live-to-air on 103.1 Fresh FM.

Get your tickets from Deb@pridelondon.ca (we will be selling them at the outdoor venue all day Saturday as well as at the fashion show Friday night!) for only $5 and not only does your payment go to support Pride London Festival, you'll bypass the lineup!

Doors open at 9pm. There will be prizes, too!

Rainbow Flag is Flying High in London!

2010-07-22T11:50:00.001-07:00

There is still time to get into the Parade!

2010-07-16T07:28:00.001-07:00

Get your pride on! Email deb@pridelondon.ca and get your entry into the 2010 Pride London Festival Parade on Sunday, July 25th, 2010.!

There is NO CHARGE to participate.

FREE TICKETS and A fabulous weekend of pride-filled events coming at you!

2010-07-16T05:47:00.000-07:00

We kicked off last night with Ben Benedict at our launch of the Art Exhibit at Strand Fine Art Services and despite a wicked storm it was a terrific evening. Thanks to everyone who made it out!

We braved the rain to drop some Pride guides (yes, they're finally ready! and event listing cards around to some downtown businesses. Please let us know at info@pridelondon.ca or reply to this message if you'd like us to help us distribute them! Check it out online here

Tonight at 9pm, don't miss the Miss and Mr Pride London Festival pageant at Lavish, where Madison will step down and we'll find out who will wear the crown on our main stage next weekend! NO COVER! Doors open at 8pm - come early to make sure you get a seat! FACEBOOK EVENT HERE

Tomorrow night, Sat. July 17, it's time to laugh it up at Yuk Yuk's with a hilarious lineup of Ted Morris, Linda Ellis, and MC Richard Ryder. FACEBOOK EVENT HERE

***I HAVE MORE TICKETS TO YUK YUK'S TO GIVE AWAY! EMAIL ME AT SHERRI@PRIDELONDON.CA WITH WHERE AND WHEN THE PARADE STARTS ON SUNDAY JULY 25TH TO WIN!***

And what better way to wrap up the first weekend of Pride than Gay Day at East Park? That's right, this Sunday July 18th, tell them you're there with Pride London Festival and enjoy group rates on all their fees - plus join us for a picnic from 12-1 (or enjoy picnic area E anytime between 11-4) where we'll be selling pop, water, and ice cream for $1. FACEBOOK EVENT HERE
Tell your friends!

Watch for updates about Film Night, Bowling, Literary Night, Pride Theatre, our fundraising dinner with Lucas Silveira of The Cliks AND MORE coming soon!

Lastly, I want to let you know that we have tickets available for next Saturday night's Pride Dance (July 24) at Downtown Kathy Brown's (yep, that's right folks, Pride is live to air on Fresh FM!). They're only $5 and if you buy them from deb@pridelondon.ca in advance you can not only support Pride London Festival with the proceeds from your ticket but you can waltz right by the lineup. ;)

Remember, it's Your Community, Your Pride, so please spread the word about all the fabulous events we've organized for you! :)

Happy Pride!

Sherri Moore
Director, Pride London Festival
Your Community, Your Pride!
www.pridelondon.ca
twitter.com/pridelondonfest
pridelondonfestival.blogspot.com
sherri@pridelondon.ca

Gay Day at East Park!

2010-07-14T20:55:00.000-07:00

Join Pride London Festival for Gay Day at East Park Golf Gardens, 1275 Hamilton Road - All day availability!

Meet at Picnic Area E for free between 12pm and 1pm* -- parking is available on site all day.

Bring your own picnic food and supplies, barbeque available, as well as pop/water and ice cream for sale ($1).

Receive the 'Group Discount' on all East Park, Intencity & Wally World activities all day when you mention 'Gay Day', 'Pride', or 'Pride London Festival' at registration

Specific pricing is on the website at http://www.eastparkgolf.com/packages/group_rates.php.

See you there!

*free picnic area available from 11am to 4pm

Fun for all ages - something for Everyone - Its all in the park! At East Park / Intencity & Wally World.

Outdoor activities include Mini-Golf, Go-Karts, Batting Cages and of course the all new Wally World ... Water Park which consists of 7 waterslides, and the best Splashpad in the city - a great place to get wet and cool down.

Indoors at Intencity: year-round Rock Climbing, Bumper Cars, Jungle Gym & Video Games, as well as the famous Intake Grill for refreshments.

Directions & map here

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Lucas Silveira speaks at Idlewyld Inn July 21

2010-07-13T11:19:00.000-07:00

Watch for this card around town!

2010-07-13T10:06:00.000-07:00

PRIDE GUIDE 2010!

2010-07-12T06:12:00.000-07:00

Be the first to check out the 2010 Pride Guide, hot off the presses!

View and/or Download here

Pride Theatre - a new twist on an old favourite!

2010-07-09T07:41:00.000-07:00

A Writer’s Showcase: An intimate evening of short plays and Monologues.

Sponsored by Pride London Festival.

July 21-24th, 2010 at Aeolian Hall (795 Dundas St)

Shows 8pm nightly. “Pay What You Can” Matinee Sat. July 24th at 2pm

Tickets $15 at the door.

The evening features new original works by: Danielle Fryling, ALyse Castillo, John McKenzie, Matthew McKenzie and Trevor Pease.

**Please note there may be strong language and content that may offend some audience members**

The Performances:

Gay Drew by: Alyse Castillo

Starring: Trevor Horman, Cameron Mackenzie and Leigh Fryling.

Directed by: Michael Paylor
“A short, funny show about coming out to your friends and the fall out that occurs.”

Pocket God by: Leigh Fryling

Starring: Trevor Horman.
Directed by: Michael Paylor
“A short monologue about a young man "coming" of age”

Welcome to Gayville by: John McKenzie

Starring: John McKenzie

Directed by: Matthew McKenzie

“The trials, tribulations and realities of a man that has to let society know who he is, what he is, and where he stands.”

Acronyms by: Matthew McKenzie

Starring: Matthew McKenzie

Directed by: John McKenzie
“A man rails against death for taking the most important thing to him. His lover.”

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Note from the Co-Chair of Pride London Festival Theatre, John McKenzie:

For the past 3 years The Verve has been the official Theatre company of Pride London. We have had many success’ with our productions, including several theatre award nominations and a win for “Bravest Production” for last year’s show,” Karla and Grif” by Vivienne Laxdal.

For reasons beyond our control, we had to scrap the original production that was slated for this year. To be perfectly honest, I don’t believe that it was a bad decision. Out of the ashes of that production something new and excited has risen. We are working collaboratively with Noisy Mime to present a Writer’s Showcase. This is a great opportunity for the community to get involved and share their stories.

I believe that Theatre is an integral part of Pride. It is an opportunity for us to share “our” stories, to watch “our” stories unfold onstage. Theatre has an amazing ability to facilitate a sense of community, and what better time to do that then during Pride celebrations. I am pleased to have the opportunity to share the celebration with such a talented theatre company as Noisy Mime, who has been a true godsend during this process. Without their unwavering support, we would not have a show for Pride this year. I hope that the passion that we all feel for our productions, comes through to the audience. It will be different, it will be fun and it will most definitely be worth every dollar spent.

John McKenzie
Co-Chair, Pride London Festival Theatre

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Yuk Yuks celebrates Pride London Festival 2010

2010-07-09T05:50:00.001-07:00

Ted Morris:
http://www.tedmorris.ca/

Ted Morris always looks like he's having the most fun in the room when he's on stage.....and doesn't care if you aren't! His intelligent, off-beat humour and wickedly charming smile lets us all know that our slightly warped thoughts are just fine.

Born in Ottawa and now making his home in Toronto, Ted discovered his love of stand-up while getting his degree in veterinary medicine. He now splits his time between working as a small animal vet and comedy, although it's much more gratifying to "kill" on stage.

He's been called "fresh faced and hilarious" and "a real gem" by Now Magazine, and slightly ruder things by strangers in the street. Ted is a writer, producer and all around super guy. He has performed at the "We're Funny That Way", London and Halifax Comedy Festivals, and can be heard around the world on XM Radio. His TV appearances include two stand-up specials for Pridevision TV (as both a performer and producer), The Toronto Show, The Comedy Network's "Canadian Comedy Shorts", MuchMoreMusic's Heat Meter, The Smart Woman's Survival Guide and as a frequently requested pop culture pundit on CityTV's Breakfast Television.

Linda Ellis:
http://www.myspace.com/lindalellis

Linda Ellis has been using her charm to disarm audiences all across Canada. Combining her self deprecating style with her observational skills Linda shines light on relevant social issues ranging from the homeless situation to the plight of crushing on straight women. Linda studied theatre at Dalhousie University then completed her post graduate training at the Humber School for Comedy. She was nominated for the prestigious Phil Hartman Award and the Tim Sims Award. Linda has appeared at the Halifax Comedy Festival and We’re Funny That Way (Canada’s International Queer Comedy Festival).

Join the Pride London Festival Facebook group for your chance to win free tickets! Showtimes are 7:30 pm and 10:30 pm, Friday July 16 and Saturday July 17.

Do you see yourself onstage? There is still time to run for Miss or Mr Pride London Festival 2010!

2010-07-08T11:12:00.000-07:00

Hurry! Time is running out to take your shot at the crown...email misslondonpridefestivalpageant@live.ca with "application" in the subject line and we will see you on the stage!

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Pride London hits the road to represent you at Pride Toronto!

2010-07-08T08:54:00.000-07:00

It was the first time any of us have been in the parade, and what an overwhelming experience!

We were on the road before 7:30 am with a trunkful of water and snacks and couldn't have asked for better weather for the drive. Deb and I met up with Michelle and her daughter in Milton and we headed to the parade headquarters together in her yellow Jeep.

It was hot, but really, really beautiful. Which is a good thing, because we had a good 5 hours ahead of us before we would actually get rolling...

I couldn't believe that we missed Rick Mercer! He was on this float, but nowhere to be seen when we wandered by.

We met up with Johnathan Sawicki and his PrideWestern group of marchers and eventually, we were off!

As you can understand, there was no time to take pictures once we got rolling. We handed out hundreds of postcards promoting Pride London and are already planning our return next year. ;)

Happy Pride!

Change in Plans! Our Theatre Event takes a bold turn....

2010-06-30T12:19:00.000-07:00

Hi folks, we are excited to announce a first for Pride London Festival. The production of "Proud," our anticipated play was unexpectedly cancelled and Noisy Mime Theatre Company has stepped in to present a writers' showcase in its place.

Call for submissions -

Calling all playwrights! Aspiring writers! People who have always wanted to give it a try but never had the guts! Well, the time has come. Throw your courage to the sticking place, because Noisy Mime Theatre Company and Pride London Festival are banding together to give you the chance to get your work out there. Please submit a script for the Authors Showcase, a space of time and talent for you to let your words shine.

Give us a 7-10 minute script or a 2-3 minute monologue/song and we'll give you an opportunity to see it performed. We will take as many submissions as we can for a full on show at the Aeolian, July 21-24.

Please send submissions to lfryling@noisymime.net or mpaylor@noisymime.net as an attachment, preferably as a word document. (Love you Mac users out there, but we are PC people and if we can't read it, we can't perform it.)

Annual Pride London Festival Art Exhibit 2010

2010-06-30T12:12:00.000-07:00

Pride London Festival presents
The Annual Pride London Festival Art Exhibit 2010

July 15 to August 1, 2010

Reception Thursday, July 15, 2010 from 7:30 to 10 PM
Strand Fine Art Service, 1161 Florence Street, London

EVERYONE is WELCOME!

Pride London Festival invites you to participate in one of the single longest running Pride events in Canada, the Pride London Art Exhibit first established in 1991. The exhibit is designed to encourage artists to look at the issues of sexual diversity that affect all Canadians from a personal perspective.

The 2010 exhibit’s focus will be a salon show. As a community focused event, the annual Pride London Festival Art Exhibit has two components, first, a juried exhibit open to professional artists working within Ontario. Jurors for this year’s event are:
• Aidan Urquhart, artist
• James Patten, Executive Director of the McIntosh Gallery at UWO
• Mike Baker, Curator, Elgin County Museum

There is a non-juried portion that is open to community members, students and hobbyists.

NOTE: 2011 is the 20th Anniversary Exhibit and to mark this historic occasion the Pride London Festival Art Exhibit Committee has selected a Pink Triangle theme with a maximum size of 24 inches each side.

Art Exhibit Committee Members include Ben Benedict, Chair; Stefan Andrejicka, Bruce Flowers and Lynette Richards. We wish to acknowledge the generous support of our sponsors and volunteers. THANK YOU!

For more information contact:
Volunteer Curator Ben Benedict:
Phone: 519-432-5089
Email: info@bcreative.ca

Pride Week - July 15-25 - At a Glance!

2010-06-30T10:51:00.000-07:00

Hi Folks, here is most of what we have planned for you! Specific times and locations to follow, but this should help you plan your week. Holler at sherri@pridelondon.ca if you think something's missing or can't wait for details...

Thursday, July 15th
Art Exhibit Opening Reception @ Strand Fine Art more info

Friday, July 16th
Miss & Mr. Pride London @ Lavish UltraLounge more info
Ted Morris and Linda Ellis with MC Richard Ryder @ Yuk Yuk's more info

Saturday, July 17th
Ted Morris and Linda Ellis with MC Richard Ryder @ Yuk Yuk's more info

Sunday, July 18th
Pride Metropolitan Community Church (MCC) Service more info
Pride "Gay Day" at East Park

Monday, July 19th
Pride and London Sports Alliance (LSA) Bowling @ Bowlerama
Pride Film Night presents Beyond Gay: The Politics of Pride @ Rainbow Cinemas more info

Tuesday, July 20th
Buffet Dinner - Brennan's Beer Bistro
Literary Night - Brennan's Beer Bistro more info

Wednesday, July 21st
Pride and Alphabet Community Centre Fundraiser Dinner @ Idlewyld Inn

Thursday, July 22nd
Pride Niagara Wine Tour
~ 3 Wineries, Lunch, and Free Bottle of Wine -- only $95/person more info
Pride Theatre Night - Writers' Showcase @ Aeolian Hall more info

Friday, July 23rd
Pride presents THE Fashion Show @ London Taphouse more info
Pride Theatre Night - Writers' Showcase @ Aeolian Hall more info

Saturday, July 24th
DAYTIME:
Outdoor venue open from 12pm to 11pm with your favourite vendors plus entertainment from AskHer, Tinna Woods, DJ Steve Rapson, Miss/Mr Pride London, our headliner Nancy Rancourt, and more!
Pride Theatre Matinee- Writers' Showcase @ Aeolian Hall more info
EVENING:
Downtown Kathy Brown's hosts the annual Pride Dance -- Live to Air with Fresh FM!
Buy your tickets from deb@pridelondon.ca and bypass the line. Only $5!
Pride Theatre Night - Writers' Showcase @ Aeolian Hall more info

Sunday, July 25th
Parade - 1pm (along Dundas from Elizabeth to Clarence)
Outdoor venue open from 11am to 5pm with your favourite vendors plus entertainment from Testament, Pappie J. Ozmand, The Vagitarians (formerly known as "Kate & Moxy") and our headliners, The Cliks!

Also back for a third fabulous year is our KidZone, with bouncy castle, facepainting, balloons, and more. This year we will also be selling sno cones and candy floss!

Pride London Wine Tour

2010-06-23T08:40:00.001-07:00

We invite you to join us on our one-day tour. This package includes:

~ Deluxe motor coach transportation
~ Services of a professional driver
~ Kittling Ridge - 1 1/2 hour tour and tasting
~ Rockaway Glen Estate Winery - 2 hours - Deluxe Meal Package
~Assorted rolls with butter, grilled honey-mustard glazed free-range chicken breast, chef's choice of seasonal vegetables & potato, individual plated dessert, coffee/tea
~ Three one-ounce wine tastings - customized tour of antique wine museum
~ $2 coupon redeemable at Wine Boutique
~ Magnotta Wines - one hour tour and tasting

ALL THIS FOR ONLY $95! SPACE IS LIMITED. (exact start & end times TBA)

To book, call or visit Shelley Elkas today!

Marlin Travel
587 Dundas St., Woodstock
519-537-5464 or 1-888-751-8747
http://www.marlintravel.ca/1252

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RIDE THE PRIDE TRAIN!

2010-06-22T08:03:00.000-07:00

RIDE THE PRIDE TRAIN!

Start the Party Early while Supporting your Local Pride!

With the Season of Pride right around the corner, Rainbow High Vacations and VIA Rail are inviting you to ride the VIA Pride Train to Toronto Pride. You will enjoy a dedicated Pride Train car, onboard entertainment, gift bag, and a free drink to help kick start the celebrations!

And with every ticket sold, a $10 donation will be made to your local pride organization!!

Why wait? Start your Toronto Pride week sooner on the Pride Train. Check out http://www.conxity.com/via or Call Rainbow High Vacations at 800-387-1240 to reserve your seat today!

Windsor/London VIA Rail Pride Train
Train departs at 1:35pm July 2, 2010 from Windsor and stops in London at 3:33pm

One way economy fares:
Windsor $89 per person plus tax
London $58 per person plus tax

Pride London appreciates the donation we'll receive on your behalf - have a safe and happy Pride!

Literary Night

2010-06-17T06:15:00.000-07:00

This year, Makeda Silvera will be the main reader. This Toronto- based writer is well-known as the co-founder and managing editor of Sister Vision Press.

She has brought stories from her Carribbean background to the fore, including novels, anthologies, short stories, and feminist studies. Her works include: The Heart Does Not Bend, Piece of My Heart and Man Royals and Sodomites.

She was a member of the editorial collective of Fireweed, a feminist journal. She was also a member of Zami, a Toronto based community organization for Black and Caribbean gays and lesbians, started in 1984.

Also we are hoping to hear Pat Brown, a writer of Gay male detective fiction.

The evening starts at 7: 00 and ends around 10.
$5.00 admission.
Brennan's Beer Bistro and Elite Catering by Design
347 Clarence St next door to Grooves
519-858-9900

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Pride London Festival Presents "Beyond Gay - The Politics of Pride" -- Film Night

2010-06-15T20:54:00.000-07:00

MONDAY, July 19, 2010 -- 7pm at Rainbow Cinemas

Gay Pride marches and festivals are happening all over the world sometimes under heavy opposition and violence.

Beyond Gay – The Politics of Pride is the most comprehensive look at the role of these events ever undertaken. This feature length documentary follows the Vancouver Pride Society’s (VPS) Parade Director Ken Coolen and his VPS colleagues as they travel to places where Pride is still steeped in protest to personally experience the rampant homophobia that still exists. They also travel to Sao Paulo Brazil for the world’s largest gay parade and New York City, the birthplace of the modern gay liberation movement.

Increasingly the Pride movement is globalizing. Coolen and many Pride organizers in North America and Europe, where celebration has overtaken political action, strive to remind their communities that Pride is at its heart a global fight for human rights.
Despite the hundreds of thousands of people cheering in the streets, Pride is much, much more than a parade and a party. It is a giant step on the road to true equality. The GLBT community during Pride is an entertaining and engaging multi- ethnic group than can bring attention to the issue of human rights with diversity, insight, and of course plenty of fabulousness. Some highlights include:

InterPride 2007, Zurich Switzerland
Coolen and co-parade director, Dean Nelson, attend this international conference of Pride organizations. Many human rights activists are interviewed, including American artist and activist Gilbert Baker creator of the first rainbow flag.

Sao Paulo Pride Parade, Brazil
This begins a tour Coolen and the crew will never forget. VIP access to the world’s largest Gay Parade where 4 million people take part in their government sponsored Pride: a street party that defies the imagination. Their theme this year: Homophobia Kills! Then, 7days later …

Moscow Pride
Coolen and crew are the only foreigners involved in the clandestine preparations for this event. Secret meetings, hidden identities, police harassment, the first successful peaceful Pride March, and a violent counter protest reveal just how passionate people can be about a parade.

Pride Colombo, Sri Lanka
Pride events here are only advertised after they take place, in order to protect the identities of those brave enough to attend. Our host, Pride organizer Sahran Abeysundra, later travels to Canada to be a Grand Marshal in Vancouver’s Parade.

Vancouver Pride
“Celebrating 30 Years of the Rainbow”: Back in Vancouver, where equal marriage is legal and the parade entertains half a million people, Ken struggles to make the parade have some meaning after all he has seen. Through Ken we discover that despite thousands of people cheering in the streets, Pride is much, much more than a parade and a party. It’s a giant step on the road to true human equality.

Raves & Reviews

See the trailer!

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Volunteer Orientation

2010-06-15T20:03:00.000-07:00

Calling all Volunteers - Volunteer Orientation - Sunday, June 27th @ 6pm

Needham Funeral Home - 520 Dundas St, London, ON (view map)

The meeting will be held in the house behind the Funeral Home in the furnished garage.

Email DJ@pridelondon.ca for more information about how you can make a difference with Pride London Festival.

We are grateful to Needham Funeral Home for their dedicated support of Pride London Festival and our community!

Mr. & Miss Pride London Festival Pageant

2010-06-15T19:57:00.000-07:00

Miss London Pride Festival originated and was created by Mr. Eugene Dustin, President of Pride London Festival. In 2004 he appointed the first Miss Pride London Festival to Miss Kirstyn Glace, that year in return because of all his help with her year she appointed him Mr. London Pride Festival. The title over the years has grown to what it is today due to the hard work of the titleholders, the Community of London and other cities in Ontario. It was because of the help and hard work of London’s surrounding Communities, that in 2008 we decided to open the competition to all residents of Ontario and this year London voted its first elected Miss Pride London Festival. 2009 would see the election of the first out of town Miss London Pride Festival, from Kitchener.

She has done our city and her city very proud.

Past Mr. & Miss London Pride Festival

Miss Kirstyn Glace & Mr. Eugene Dustin 2004-05
Miss Shevonce & Mr. Terry McAstocker 2005-06
Miss Cherylin 2006-07
Miss Kirstyn Glace 2007-08
Miss Leigha Divine 2008-09
Miss Madison Hart Divine-Glace 2009-10

The purpose of Mr. & Miss London Pride Festival is to raise money for Pride London Festival and a variety of charities. To be a Goodwill ambassador for Pride London Festival and London’s LGBTS2Q community, and to welcome one and all to the city in which we Love. Each year we also hold the Miss London Sex Kitten Pageant, a pageant created by Miss Kirstyn Glace as a fundraiser for Pride London Festival, to assist in the fundraising efforts of Mr. & Miss Pride London Festival.

We are now in our 7th year and it seems to be getting bigger every year, although in 2005 we saw a lack of interest in the Mr. Pride London Festival title, we are proud to announce the return of Mr. Pride London Festival title.

We are trying a few new things this year, the second of which is that, we will be holding the pageant at the very beginning of London Pride week events at 8:00 pm on July 16th, 2010 @ Lavish Night Club. We would like to thank Eddy for allowing us to hold our pageant in a new venue this year and we look forward to working with him for years to come.

We are also proud to announce the Mr. & Miss Pride London Festival show center stage on the main stage at Pride Saturday July 24, 2010 @ 9 pm so those that can't make it the weekend before will get to see all the glitz and glamour of the crowning of our new Mr.& Miss London Pride Festival.

On behalf of the current and past titles holder we look forward to seeing you all at this year’s pageant, and we hope that you are excited, as we are to meet the newly crowned Mr. & Miss London Pride Festival. We would also like to wish everyone a very Safe & Happy Pride, welcome to London the Forest City!

In Service to the Community,

Miss Kirstyn Glace & Miss Leigha Divine

Owners of Mr.& Miss Pride London Festival Pageant

THIS YEAR'S PAGEANT WILL BE HELD AT 9PM ON FRIDAY, JULY 16, AT LAVISH (238 DUNDAS ST)

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Pride Prom 2010

2010-06-15T19:47:00.000-07:00

We are very excited to announce the 2010 Pride Prom!

Wednesday, June 30, 2010 8:00 pm to midnight

Brennan's Beer Bistro
247 Clarence Street
London, ON

View Map

THEME ANNOUNCED! - Mascaraed, with an open end - you can choose to go with the mascaraed theme or just dress what ever way you want to dress for your prom!

Get your pride on! - Aimed at LGBT youth aged 14-18!

2 LIVE, LOCAL DJs! - DJ Freek & DJ Wiise will light up the dance floor - for *4* hours of dancing under the stars!

Pop and food covered with ticket/admission price! - plus goody bags!

~ catering will be generously provided by Elite Catering!

Tickets: $10 - (the more advance tickets we sell, the more money we can put into your prom!)

- Special guests Shannon Boodram and Viktoria Kalenteris!

Love Action being organized to provide a safe way home! Volunteers in pairs will "escort" the youth home by bicycles, skateboards or trusty feet.

- Come and celebrate your prom in a LGBT friendly environment!

Contact info@pridelondon.ca for more ticket info - more authorized ticket outlets to be announced as we get them organized!

~ and a special thanks to CAW for their generous sponsorship!

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This is the post in which we pass the hat...

2010-06-09T22:19:00.000-07:00

Please Help Raise Funds for The Pride London Festival

Want to contribute to Pride London Festival? We sure could use your help.

Please send your cheques big and small, payable to Pride London Festival, to our address at 186 King Street, Unit 30, London Ontario, N6A 1C7.

We can't run this festival without the support of the community, and we are highly appreciative of any assistance you can provide.

If you have a fundraising idea, we'd love to hear it! Fire an email off to sherri@pridelondon.ca and we'll talk....

Pride London Coach Tours from Windsor, Niagara, and Toronto

2010-06-09T22:06:00.000-07:00

Don't miss out on one of these fabulous 7-night packages from Windsor, Niagara Area, and Toronto!

July 18 - 25, 2010
The tours include

* Roundtrip luxury coach transfers
* 7 nights accommodation at the fabulous Hilton (based on double occupancy)
* Saturday night Gala Dance
* Outdoor Pride Festival with vendors and entertainment
* Pride Parade
* Cultural Festival to include Film, Theatre, and Literary night

Download the brochures in PDF for pricing, booking and more information:

* 2010 Pride London Festival 7 Night Couch Tour from Windsor

* 2010 Pride London Festival 7 Night Couch Tour from Niagara Area

* 2010 Pride London Festival 7 Night Couch Tour from Toronto

Don’t delay. Contact Shelley Elkas and book today.

Space is limited.

Merlin Travel, 587 Dundas Street, Woodstock. 519-537-5464 or 1-888-751-8747 shelley.elkas@marlintravel.ca.

We Are Accepting Grand Marshal Nominations

2010-06-09T22:00:00.000-07:00

Hello Friends,
This year, we have decided to take a new approach to the selection of the Grand Marshal of the 2010 Pride London Festival Parade.

In keeping with the theme, Your Community – Your Pride, we would like you to tell us who should receive this honour. We will be accepting nominations until June 20, 2010, so please hurry and tell us who you think would be the perfect choice as this year's Grand Marshal and why.

Email your suggestion to deb@pridelondon.ca with a brief note about why your candidate deserves this honour and we will reveal the results on the Pride London website and Facebook group.

We can't wait to hear from you!
~ Your Pride Board

THE Fashion Show

2010-06-08T17:11:00.000-07:00

Pride London Festival is proud to present THE Fashion Show with Rick Renaud and Jessy Déroneth on Friday, July 23, at London Tap House at 9:00pm (with a silent auction beginning at 7pm).

From Rick Renaud:

"THE Fashion Show has experienced since the last 6 years, an unparalleled success. Thanks to our innovative choreographies, the recruitment of models with unique looks and original designers, gay community and heterosexuals anticipates THE Fashion Show each with impatience.

It is with enthusiasm that THE Fashion Show undertakes the challenge of being a solely lead by its own creative team. This organization has already established a number of contacts in the city of London and has committed to continue to maintain these relations in the years to come.

This year in 2010 Jessy Déroneth [The Agency] and Rick Renaud plan to bring London a show to be remembered. Thanks to this team, THE Fashion show will continue to dazzle our loyal audience during pride festivities."

THE Fashion Show Official Website

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Nominate your Grand Marshal! Deadline approaching!

2010-06-01T20:10:00.000-07:00

Hello friends:

We are searching for the Grand Marshal of the 2010 Pride London Festival Parade.

In keeping with the theme, "Your Community, Your Pride," we would like you to tell us who should receive this honour. We will be accepting nominations until June 18, 2010, so please hurry and tell us who you think would be the perfect choice as this year's Grand Marshal and why.

Email your suggestion to deb@pridelondon.ca with a brief note about why your candidate deserves this honour and we will reveal the results on the Pride London website and Facebook group.

We can't wait to hear from you!

~ Your Pride Board

Your Community—Your Pride News: This Year's Pride In The Heart of Downtown London!

2010-05-29T22:06:00.000-07:00

Dear friends, we know you have all been anxiously awaiting this news, and we are delighted to announce that this year's outdoor festival will be held in the heart of London's downtown on the northwest corner of King and Clarence, Saturday, July 24 and Sunday, July 25 (exact times TBA).

We hope you will be as excited about this new location as we are. Watch for a fabulous line-up of entertainment to be announced soon, along with other details that we know you are eager to hear so you can start planning for Pride London Festival 2010, Your Community—Your Pride.

~ Your Pride London Festival Board

Welcome to Pride London Festival 2010!

2010-05-09T21:55:00.000-07:00

Hi folks! It's hard to believe another festival is around the corner - it feels like we just sat down after tearing down the outdoor venue last year.

This year's theme is "Your Community, Your Pride."

We are listening, London. We're currently looking for nominations for Grand Marshal (email deb@pridelondon.ca with your suggestions), and we are always grateful for volunteers (let dj@pridelondon.ca know you're interested!).

We have a very exciting lineup of cultural and entertainment events for you this year, as well as some brand-new partnerships and travel opportunities.

We hope you're just as excited about Pride 2010 as we are. Stay tuned!

Thank You Eugene and Chris

2010-05-05T22:09:00.000-07:00

Longtime President thanks all for years of support and introduces the newly elected President and Board

Greetings to all:

As you may or may not know I/we Eugene Dustin & Christopher D'Aguilar have resigned our positions within the Pride London Festival Board. It was a hard decision for me/us to make; however, due to Christopher's recent heart attack, I will be focusing my attentions on his recovery. I would like to thank everyone for their support of myself and Christopher throughout our tenure with Pride London Festival. I would also like to thank everyone for their support of the overall Festival.

At our AGM, held October 22nd 2009, a very professional, dedicated, ambitious Board was elected; Bev Sugden has now assumed my position as President, DJ Chrissley as Vice President, David Marcy as Treasurer, Sherri Moore as Director, Deb AL-Hamza as Director and Michelle Boyce as Director. I am very confident the current Board will continue to produce a quality Festival that is inclusive of everyone.

With Pride,

Eugene R. Dustin