Press Release 2020-04-27

Fayetteville PRIDE Cancels Pride Fest 2020 


​Fayetteville, NC— 4/27/2020 — Fayetteville PRIDE announced today that its Board of Directors voted unanimously Monday night to cancel the third annual Pride Fest, scheduled for June 20th.  Citing continued uncertainty about the spread and duration of the current coronavirus pandemic, board president Sam DuBose stated, “With so many unknowns, we felt it would be extremely irresponsible to put thousands of attendees at potential risk.  We debated whether to postpone a decision until May, but we also have a responsibility to our scheduled performers and nearly 100 food and merchandise vendors, to allow them ample time to make alternative plans.  The vast majority of our vendors are local, small businesses and – especially in light of the current impact on small businesses like these – we don’t want them to spend their money on ordering more inventory that they may not be able to sell.”
Pride Fest began in 2018, with last year’s festival attracting approximately 5,000 attendees from across eastern North Carolina.  The organization’s other two annual events are a community picnic in October and a Holiday social in December.  All Fayetteville PRIDE’s events are free and open to the public.
 
 
Founded in 2017, Fayetteville PRIDE’s mission is to instill pride, celebrate unity, and embrace diversity and inclusiveness in our LGBTQ* community and allies, and to provide a support network and educational advocacy group dedicated to increasing awareness and acceptance.  The organization partners with other groups and government agencies to provide services and information resources to both the LGBTQ+ community and the greater Fayetteville – Cumberland County community.

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Fayetteville PRIDE is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization.