Loud and Proud

When Denver’s annual PrideFest, “Worldwide Pride...Connect the Dots,” gets under way this weekend in Civic Center Park, it will continue to provide programming as diverse as its constituency, with the usual mix of tried-and-true activities -- among them, the family field day and kids’ parade, Volleypalooza in Congress Park, the famous Dogs in Drag contest, fantastic fluffy stuff from the D.C. Cowboys dancers, and, of course, Sunday’s culminating Pride Parade. But the 2009 feygele fete (to be completely fair, we have to also mention the L’s, B’s and T’s of Denver), which celebrates Stonewall’s fortieth anniversary, features another parade not seen in years past: Today at 3 p.m., the new Denver Dyke March will kick off with a rally at Charlie’s, 900 East Colfax Avenue, featuring speakers Dani Newsum and Dee Galloway, before taking to the street for a march to PrideFest proper, with Dykes on Bikes leading the way. There, special womyn-oriented entertainment, including local lady Elvis impersonator Shelvis and the all-girl combo Chasing Jenny, will perform for free after 6 p.m. And later in the celebratory night? Lovely lesbians and their supporters are encouraged to put on their best (ball gowns to chaps, plus anything in between) for the first annual Dyke Ball 2009, beginning at 6 p.m. at HER Bar, 629 East Colfax Avenue, where partying until 2 a.m. (as well as the $10 cover charge) benefits the All Terrain Lesbians Foundation.

Go, girls! For more information, visit www.denverdykemarch.org.
June 27-28, 2009