Triad Pride festival

[Virginia]

Well we survived somehow! SL and I got there at about 8:30. It was a small park in downtown Greensboro, NC. We helped with a bit of everything from setting up tents to selling water to taking notes for recommendations for next year. SL worked the Triad Pride tent and I just did whatever! The temperature was mid to upper 90's with a heat index of 105, but its North Carolina in mid-August, kinda comes with the territory.

My count was 25 vendor tents and at about noon an unofficial head count I did was around 330 people. Probably a bit fewer than was expected, but everyone was enjoying themselves and no problems with protesters either as there were none!

Our very own Kathy came in from Charlotte and she got to meet Angie and we just kept it running smoothly. We all watched for anyone who seemed to be overheating but actually had no one that seemed to be stressed by the heat!

There was constant entertainment from the concrete stage/amphitheater and in that heat and virtually no shade those performers were real troopers. Singers, female impersonators, and the Triad Gay Men's choir, and you gotta know they were super!!!!! They even had a game show called "Dysfunctional Family Feud!" One of the categories was, name someone who has a problem picking husbands, the very first answer given? Well you know!!!!

At 2:00 we started putting the park back in order for a wedding which was to start about 3:00. I guess I should have assumed this but it was still a nice surprise. We are not only nice folk, we are neat and clean! There was virtually no trash to pick up!

The Triad Transgender group had a tent and there were ( dare I say ) at least seven CD's that I saw - well there could have been 100 -- they all looked great! Do you know what 100 degree temps can do to a girl's make-up. No, Virginia was not there, she decided to stay at the hotel until dinner and the evening's entertainment (in another thread). However, our very own Angie was there and between doing photographic work and making ice runs she actually held up pretty well! Proud of you, honey!!!

Did not hear the figures, but the city charged a small fortune for use of the park and they wanted (I think) another $1,500.00 for a parade permit, so needless to say there was no parade.

All in all we had a great time, got to meet again some of our sisters from this "Fortress of Solitude", met some other very very nice folk, and survived the heat!

So if you get the opportunity to help out in your local area, volunteer, they need the help, you will meet some exceptional people and no one cares what you look like en drab or en femme, you're just another of the folk and they all appreciate the help!!!

Go forth ladies and BE!

Virginia

[Danette]

Good for you and SL, I'm glad you had a great time. I'd like to help out at some of the things here in Mich. but this crippled old body isn't much help to anybody anymore not even me.

Hugs,
Danette

[KathyB]

This poor soul didn't make it to Triad Pride until noon, and thank goodness they had a tent for the volunteers to hide from the sun. It was about 95 degrees F and the sun was beating down. Fortunately for everyone, there were breezes and enough clouds to hold back the sun every now and then. The best I could offer was assistance breaking down the tents, folding up the tables and chairs, and policing the grounds. As Virginia already noted, it was surprisingly spotless before we started picking up!

Virginia and SilverLady were as friendly and welcoming as ever, and I'm so glad I took advantage of the Triad Pride event to meet up with them again. It was a treat meeting Angie, her wife and daughter at the event. (We share a common trait involving pale skin and freckles.) Sorry to say, I could not stick around for the evening festivities.

I had a personal moment when I noticed a TG lady at the Triad Gender Association tent. I went over and introduced myself to Sherri Carmichael, who I hadn't seen in over ten years. Sherri formerly led the Kappa Beta Tri-Ess group in Charlotte, where I first attended a Tri-Ess local meeting. She's a wonderful lady who loves fishing and did an unbelievable amount of work for the crossdressing community around Charlotte through the 1990s.

It was a great (if hot!) day, and I only wish I could have arrived earlier, stayed the night, and left Sunday morning.