On Sunday, June 4, Pine City will again be the setting of one of the few rural, small-town LGBT (lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender) pride celebrations in the world, “East Central Minnesota Pride.”
2017 marks the 13th anniversary of this event which offers music, food and a rendezvous of friends, family and community in Robinson Park in downtown Pine City. This year’s gathering promotes the theme “Pride Persists” and will be held from noon to 5 p.m. rain or shine.
Headlining Pride is Kat Perkins, a semifinalist on NBC’s The Voice, performing a Sia tribute called “Sia Later,” as well as Mark Joseph and The American Soul, a rock, blues and soul band. Twin Cities Public Television’s Val Mondor returns as this year’s emcee.
Always a family-friendly, alcohol and tobacco free event, this year the Wyoming Creative Arts Community will have their “Kids Can Be Artists, Too!” booth which encourages kids of all ages to get creative with some paint, a brush and a blank canvas.
This celebration serves the five-county region of East Central Minnesota of Pine, Isanti, Chisago, Kanabec and Mille Lacs counties.
East Central Minnesota Pride is an all-volunteer group which involves many collaborators including East Central MN Men’s Circle, East Central MN Purple Circle, East Central MN chapter of PFLAG (Parents and Friends of Lesbians and Gays), Rural Aids Action Network, Rainbow Health Initiative and OutFront Minnesota, among others.
Several businesses throughout the region support and help sponsor the event as well, and this activity is funded through a grant from the East Central Regional Arts Council through an appropriation from the Minnesota State Legislature with money from the State’s General Fund.
East Central Minnesota Pride kicks off the first such celebration in Minnesota in June, during what‘s been proclaimed as “Pride Month” across the country.
“Our goal has always been to provide support and friendship for LGBT and other diverse people living in the rural areas of Minnesota,” said Don Quaintance, a founding Pride Board member. “This event brings people from all walks of life together in friendship, community and progress in understanding. It truly exemplifies the statement: ‘All are welcome here.’”