October 01, 2024
Provided Image/Aversa PR
OURfest will hold a parade in Center City on Saturday, Oct. 12, with a festival scheduled the next day. Above is a photo from last year's inaugural event.
While Pride Month has long past, members of the LGBTQ+ community can celebrate their identity over the next few weeks at events around the region to commemorate National Coming Out Day.
OURfest from Philly Pride organizers Galaei is returning for a second year, and festivals are scheduled in Manayunk, Upper Darby and West Chester.
National Coming Out Day, first observed on Oct. 11, 1988, was created to encourage people to be open about their sexuality with family, friends and colleagues because the founders believed homophobia thrived in silence.
Here's a look at four upcoming events:
Festivities kick off with Out & About Drag Bingo at 7 p.m. Friday, Oct. 4,. at Winnie's Manayunk.
On Saturday, Oct. 5, there will be an artisan market on 4202 Main St. from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. The Philadelphia Freedom Marching Band will play at 1 p.m., and Philly Drag Mafia will perform at 2 p.m.
Then, Transylvanian Nipple Productions will perform a shadowcast of "The Rocky Horror Picture Show" — where performers act out the movie while it screens — at 6 p.m. and 9 p.m. at the Venice Island Performing Arts Center.
Social justice organization UDTJ, which runs Delaware County Pride, is turning its annual National Coming Out Day picnic into a full-fledged festival. The celebration is scheduled for Saturday, Oct. 5, from noon to 4 p.m. in Naylors Run Park in Upper Darby.
The Human Rights Campaign, ACLU-PA and UDTJ's Community Center, which opened in February, will be among the 20 vendors. There will be yard games, a food truck and a mobile HIV and STD testing van. Drag artist Mister Right will perform at 3:30 p.m.
The LGBT Equality Alliance of Chester County is hosting its third annual OutFest at Bierhaul Townhouse in West Chester on Saturday, Oct. 12, from noon to 5 p.m. The festival will observe both National Coming Out Day and LGBTQ+ History Month, which has been celebrated in October since 1994.
Drag queen Roxanne Rohls will be the emcee and Dj Triple B will play music throughout the day. Local barber shop Hair Collection will be cutting hair and there will be a station to make friendship bracelets.
Philly Pride organizers Galaei first threw OURfest last year in Center City as a revamp of the OutFest event from the defunct Philly Pride Presents organization. The event returns with a parade on Saturday, Oct. 12, and a festival and resource fair on Sunday, Oct. 13.
The parade will go from 4-6 p.m. on a route from 5th and Market streets to Broad and Locust streets. The 400-foot-long Pride flag that was unveiled at this year's Philly Pride will join floats and live performances at the parade.
The festival and resource fair will be from noon-7 p.m., spreading across the Gayborhood from 13th and Walnut streets to 13th and Pine streets, and from Locust to 12th down to Locust and Pine. The area will host food trucks and several beer gardens.
The resource fair and family zone will feature age-appropriate programming from noon-4 p.m. There will be ballroom performances by Kiki Alley on Chancellor Street and music on the Philadelphia Muses Stage on Locust Street.
