Some of the Downundergear Marching Boys at an evening practise session With just three days till kick-off the organiser of the Auckland Pride Festival says the event's marketing machine is working hard and "everyone's in production mode." Elements as diverse as the glittering and upmarket opening Gala are in rehearsal, slings are being readied for the Kiwifist fisting party and vividly colourful costumes are being created for an HIV-positive men's Pride Parade entry. Gardeners are putting the final touches to their meticulously prepared gardens and artists from around the country and around the world are winging in for the arts and performance component of the Festival. Overall festival organiser Julian Cook, himself preparing the epic Proud Party, says it is interesting watching other, sometimes less experienced, folk prepare their events. "It's interesting seeing them go through all the preparation processes and dealing with such matters as arranging public liability insurance and having health and safety plans in place," he says. As a specific example he quotes the Fairy Flotilla which will farewell the gay cruise ship Oosterdam and its 1,800 passengers on Wednesday 20th. "While coordinating the boats, owners and crews they've also had to work with the harbour authorities to get a dispensation to have a mooring place on the Waitemata," he says. Cook says he is hugely proud of the many volunteers "who are putting their creativity and energy into a whole range of events by and for specific glbti communities an interest." The Pride Festival kicks off with the Auckland Pride Gala at Q Theatre this Friday evening.