The calendar of events for Auckland's Pride Festival this February is taking shape, and includes several favourite Hero-style events along with many new parties and activities. "We currently have between 30 and 40 events scheduled over a five week period, and these include the iconic Big Gay Out, the Heroic Gardens, Wigs on the Waterfront, Flirt women's nights and negotiations are underway for a possible Hero Party," says Lionel Vongue of the newly-formed Pride Festival Auckland 09 committee. New events include the Auckland Lesbian Business Association's Manukau Harbour cruise, a special event with the NZ Bears group, OUTLine NZ's fundraising première of Milk at the Rialto Cinema, presentations for lesbians at the Charlotte Museum, and a production of La Cage Aux Folles at the Auckland Music Theatre. The first event scheduled is the ALBA Cruise on Sunday 1 February, but the Pride Festival will officially begin with a launch party downtown at the Maritime Museum on Tuesday evening 3 February 2009. "While 2009's Auckland Pride Festival is built along the same lines as the Hero Festival, we are totally independent from the Hero Trust, although we do have their backing," says Vongue. "We decided to form a Pride Festival Auckland '09 Committee after it became clear that the famous Hero Festival would not be able to rise off the ground. We are all working on a voluntary basis will do our best to promote the Festival and its various events." Along with Vongue, the committee includes event promoters Sarah Lambourne, Jonathan Smith and Richard James. "While we are here to help coordinate the various events of the Festival, it is up to our community and the people willing to put together events to come forward and we will be happy to liaise with dates and promote your events. We do not discriminate with the type of events." Should you have an event to include in Auckland Pride 2009 or have any other queries, please contact Lionel Vongue via email at: lvongue@ihug.co.nz. The provisional schedule of Festival events is on the link below.
Credit: GayNZ.com Daily News Staff
First published: Wednesday, 17th December 2008 - 1:57pm