Welcome to PrideFest St. Louis

BY: ANNA C. FORDER at Vital VOICE
   
Of all the colors of the Pride flag, green will be the most prominent this year at Pride St. Louis.  Pride organizers sought to make this year’s festival not only more attendee friendly, but also more earth friendly, a festival of which the community can be proud.

Going green is not simply a trend; it’s way of life intended to lessen humans’ negative impact on the environment.  And holding a truly green Pride goes well beyond simply recycling.

Recycling at last year’s Pride totaled an amazing 1.6 tons. This year’s program, provided by St. Louis Earth Day and Replenish The Earth, will be even more extensive, but recycling is just the tip of the iceberg.

The theme this year is "Living Green - Better Together," and organizers are working toward making Pride St. Louis one of the greenest festivals in the country.

Vendors have been restricted from using environmentally unfriendly Styrofoam in favor of recyclable containers.  Vendors also have been asked to limit paper waste by replacing handouts with reusable freebies.

Official PrideFest merchandise also has been revamped.  The traditional PrideFest logo T-shirt will be only one of many choices this year, including Ringer T’s, V-Neck T’s, Military-Style Hats, Aluminum Water Bottles, Reusable Tote Bags and Stainless Steel Dog Tags.  All of these eco-friendly selections are made of organic, recyclable and/or eco-conscious materials, and many were printed locally.

Pride St. Louis organizers hope to lay the groundwork this year for future green efforts.  Next year’s Pride will include composting waste and requiring vendors to use only recyclable disposables.

Pride cannot be truly green, however, if participants do not make environmentally friendly choices themselves, including using public transportation whenever possible.  This also will give walkers, cyclists and bus patrons, a chance to explore the shops and businesses along South Grand and Moranford.

Pride 2010 will be even more connected to the Tower Grove community with the subtraction of the fence that surrounded last year’s festivities.  Pride organizers took into account the community’s adamant dislike of it and did away with it.  The fencing, however, was an attempt to control the bringing of liquor into the park, which is illegal.  In the absence of the fence, Pride organizers hope attendees will be responsible about following alcohol laws.

Don’t panic, though. Alcohol will still flow freely.  There will be more beer vendors inside the park to help accommodate the growing crowds.  Attendance is expected to be up from 80,000 people last year to an amazing 85,000 in 2010, maintaining St. Louis’s reputation as the biggest Pride festival in the Midwest.

In addition to better alcohol accommodations, attendees can expect a better selection of food vendors, including vegetarian options (Lesbians, breathe a sigh of relief).

The athletic and ambitious Pride-goers also can revel in the addition of an event in nearby Lafayette Park. The St. Louis Frontrunners are sponsoring a 5K run / one mile walk Saturday, June 26 at 8 a.m.  The event is to benefit Growing American Youth, an LGBTQ group for out teens. For more information visit, http://www.stlouisfrontrunners.org/pride5k/.

Sports fans also will have their day in the sun this year at Busch Stadium. Pride St. Louis and the LGBT Community Center are sponsoring an event at the Cardinal’s game Sept. 18, 2010. “Out at the Ballpark” is part of the growing LGBT presence in the mainstream. This new event epitomizes the idea of being visible and proud in the larger St. Louis community.

More events, more beer, better food and more eco-consciousness can be summed up into one thing: a better PrideFest in 2010.