Thanks to everyone that joined us on the 2013 Toledo Pride Pub Crawl

Posted on May 20, 2013 by

947225_10151604094488288_30910325_nThis past Saturday, over 50 of our friends joined us for the 3rd Annual 2013 Toledo Pride Pub Crawl!  It was a huge success!  We want to thank:

  • Everyone that joined us on the bus. There were a lot of familiar faces and a lot of new friends.  We hope that everyone had a great time.
  • Blush, Ripcord, Bretz, R House and Outskirts for being great hosts and all of the bartenders for taking good care of our pub crawlers.
  • All of the entertainers including Sylvia Austin, Katrina Alexis Monae, Glamora, Thunderpussy, London Asia, Santana Romero, Levi Austin and everyone for putting on great shows at every stop.
  • Our driver from Childers Limousine for making sure everyone got from bar to bar safely.
  • Our great Toledo Pride committee and volunteers who organized the evening, helped stuff swag bags and generally made sure that everything ran smoothly all night.

I’m sure there’s somebody that we forgot to mention, so thank you to anyone that we missed!  It was an amazingly fun night once again and we can’t wait to see you at Toledo Pride on August 24th!

Photo courtesy of Girl in the Glass City.


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Thank You from our Executive Director

Posted on April 27, 2013 by

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Toledo Pride is so thankful to everyone who has helped to make this the event it has become! We have grown bigger and better than anyone expected and we are 100% run by Volunteers! Volunteers are the backbone of Toledo Pride and for that we THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU!

Lexi Staples
Toledo Pride Executive Director


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National Volunteer Week: Lily

Posted on April 25, 2013 by

In celebration of National Volunteer Week, Toledo Pride is profiling some of our dedicated volunteers that help make Toledo Pride a reality.  Today, meet Lily…

lily volunteer

Lily is an avid supporter and volunteer for Toledo Pride.  As a student at Owens Community College, she helped with the coordination of Toledo Pride’s first Sunday Funday last year. We caught up with Lily and asked her what her favorite part of volunteering for Toledo Pride, why she thinks it is important and how she would like to see it grow.

“My favorite part about volunteering for Toledo Pride is knowing that the combined efforts of us all provide a venue for the LGBTQ and allies to come together and have a true and beautiful sense of community and a safe space to be who and what we are.

“I think Toledo Pride is important because it promotes our community streamlining with the rest of the community, gives an amazing opportunity to be visible to the community in general and it helps foster new relationships with city officials and businesses.

“I would like to see Toledo Pride grow in general and to have businesses and community partners scrambling to be involved and openly declare their support.  I would love for people in the area to see this as the event of the summer and schedule around it so they are sure to not miss it. I love TOLEDO PRIDE!”

A big thanks to Lily and all of our Toledo Pride Volunteers.  If you’d like to help make a difference, find out more here.


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National Volunteer Week: Kaleena

Posted on April 24, 2013 by

In celebration of National Volunteer Week, Toledo Pride is profiling some of our dedicated volunteers that help make Toledo Pride a reality.  Today, meet Kaleena…

kaleena volunteer

Kaleena has been volunteering for Toledo Pride since 2012. We caught up with Kaleena and asked her what her favorite part of volunteering for Toledo Pride; and why she thinks it is important how she would like to see it grow.

“My favorite part of volunteering is the fact that I get to be a part of not just Toledo Pride, but something much bigger than that. I get to help with our local Toledo celebration of LGBTQA people, the culture, and who we are. At the same time, I feel I am part of the bigger picture in the progression of our country towards not only marriage equality, but overall equality in every form for everyone.

I think that Toledo Pride is important because it is a chance for everyone in the LGBTQA community to get together and celebrate who we are, in the same way that we celebrate holidays and heritage months. I would love to see Toledo Pride grow not only in numbers but in who attends. I think it would be great to have more community members involved in the celebration, making it a large city event that Toledo looks forward to each year.”

A big thanks to Kaleena and all of our Toledo Pride Volunteers.  If you’d like to help make a difference, find out more here.


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Toledo Pride Pub Crawl – May 18th

Posted on April 23, 2013 by

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Want to help raise money for Toledo Pride while hitting your favorite bars? Join us for the 3rd Annual Toledo Pride Pub Crawl on Saturday, May 18th!

Tickets are $25 and include luxury charter bus transportation all night, FREE Toledo Pride swag bags and FREE shots on the bus between stops!

The Pub Crawl starts at 8:30 p.m. at Outskirts Bar (5038 Lewis Ave., Toledo). From there we’ll board the bus and head out for an unforgettable night of fun at RHouse, Blush, Ripcord and Bretz before heading back to Outskirts.

Tickets are extremely limited, so get yours today at http://pridepubcrawl2013.brownpapertickets.com/! All attendees must be age 21 or over.

If you have any questions, please contact Brent Rabie at volunteers@toledopride.com or info@toledopride.com.


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Toledo Pride Needs Vendors!!

Posted on April 2, 2013 by

VendorHeader2013Looking for a fun way to promote your business or organization to the regional LGBT community?  Register now to be a vendor during Toledo Pride 2013.  Join us and 15,000-20,000 of our closest friends in the newly-renovated Promenade Park in Downtown Toledo on Saturday, August 24 from noon until 7pm.  We’ll have room for more vendors than ever before!

We encourage businesses and organizations of all types to join us, and we have special rates for registered non-profit organizations.  In the past we have had a wide range of merchandise vendors, faith organizations, social groups, student organizations, local businesses, major sponsors and more.

For more information or to register, download the Toledo Pride 2013 Vendor Contract.  Still have questions?  Contact our Community Connections/Vendor Coordinator Sherry Tripepi at community@toledopride.com.  Interested food vendors can contact Nicole Hayman at foodvendors@toleodpride.com.


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Toledo Pride returning to Promenade Park on Aug. 24, 2013

Posted on March 31, 2013 by

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Toledo Pride is thrilled to announce its return to the newly-renovated Promenade Park on Saturday, August 24, 2013!  Preparations are currently underway for the 4th annual celebration of the LGBT community.

The fun will kick-off on the evening of Friday, August 23 with the Toledo Pride Nite Glo 5K and 1-Mile Fun Run, Walk and Roll.  Taking place on the University of Toledo Campus, this nighttime event is designed for both serious runners and casual participants to have a great time.  Participants will light up the night with neon shirts, glow sticks and an illuminated course.  Last year over 150 people took part in the fun, even in the pouring rain!  We can’t wait to do it all again!

The main event will kick-off with the annual Toledo Pride Parade on Saturday, August 24.  After winding its way through Downtown Toledo, the parade will lead festival-goers right to Promenade Park.  The main event starts at noon, with a full day of live entertainment, vendors, community organizations, family, friends and fun.  We are currently seeking sponsors, vendors, volunteers and entertainers to make Toledo Pride 2013 an unforgettable event.

Once again, we will wrap-up Toledo Pride with Sunday Funday on the afternoon of August 25th.  This laid-back, family-friendly event takes place on the Owens Community College campus.  With carnival games, an ice cream social and picnic atmosphere, it’s the perfect way to wrap up an amazing weekend of Pride events.

Keep an eye on ToledoPride.com, our Facebook page and Twitter for more details on Toledo Pride 2013 as they become available.

 


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Thank You for making “Opera Ain’t No Drag” a huge success!

Posted on February 11, 2013 by

OperaCastCoverWe would like to thank everyone that helped make our “Opera Ain’t No Drag” event a massive success!  Over 350 people braved the snow and came out to the Collingwood Arts Center on February 2nd to help support the Pride of Toledo Foundation and Toledo Opera.

The crowd was treated to an amazing show. Toledo Opera’s Jennifer Cresswell and Sean Cooper performed selections from the upcoming production of Don Giovanni, where they will be portraying the roles of Donna Elvira and Leporello, respectively.  Drag queens Deja D. Dellataro, National Holiday and London Asia and drag kings Spacee Kadett, Santana Romero and Orion SpanKing also performed operatic numbers.  They performed everything from classic pieces like “Habanera” from Carmen and  ”La Donna E Mobile” from Rigoletto to not-so-classical pieces like Beyonce’s version of “Ave Maria” and an operatic version of Psy’s “Gangnam Style”.

Thank you to all who attended the show for coming out and supporting the local LGBT and arts communities.  Thank you to the Collingwood Arts Center for the use of the facility and their staff who helped out.  Thank you to Toledo Opera for being supportive and helping out with this great night.  Thank you to the cast for putting on an unbelievably incredible show.  Thank you to all of the volunteers who helped out.   We couldn’t have done any of this without you!


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Join us for “Opera Ain’t No Drag” on Sat. Feb. 2nd

Posted on January 15, 2013 by

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
FROM: Pride of Toledo Foundation/Toledo Pride
CONTACT: Kelly Heuss, Media Coordinator
info@toledopride.com
407-616-0567

Join the Pride of Toledo Foundation and Toledo Opera for Opera Ain’t No Drag

The Pride of Toledo Foundation is pleased to announce our upcoming fundraiser event, Opera Ain’t No Drag. Produced in cooperation with Toledo Opera, this one-of-a-kind event brings together reknowned performers from the Toledo Opera and some of the area’s best female and male impersonators (drag queens and kings) for an evening of timeless music and great entertainment.

Opera Ain’t No Drag will be held at the Collingwood Arts Center (2413 Collingwood Blvd., Toledo, Ohio 43620) on Saturday, February 2 beginning at 7:30 p.m. The show will feature classic, popular opera music performed live by vocalists from the Toledo Opera, as well as lip-synched operatic routines performed by our award-winning drag queens and kings.

Performers will include:

  • Jennifer Cresswell: Jennifer Cresswell will be performing the role of Donna Elvira in the upcoming Toledo Opera production of Don Giovanni. The soprano was last seen on the stage with Toledo Opera in the role of Liù in Turandot and as Frasquita in Carmen. She serves as Artistic Director for Toledo Opera’s touring education program, Opera on Wheels, and as Co-Director of its summer Opera Camp. Ms. Cresswell is also the host of Morning and Evening Classics on WGTE public radio FM91 in Toledo.
  • Sean Cooper: Sean Cooper is a bass-baritone who can be seen in the upcoming Toledo Opera production of Don Giovanni as Leporello and is a member of the voice faculty at Bowling Green State University. He appeared as Colline in the original Broadway cast of Baz Luhrmann’s La bohème as well as in Toledo Opera’s Fall 2012 production. Dr. Cooper is also the Co-Director of Toledo Opera’s summer Opera Camp.
  • Deja D. Dellataro: Deja D. Dellataro is currently the show director at Bretz Bar in Toledo, where she can be seen performing several nights a week. She is the current reigning Miss PowerDiva, and was named Miss Ohio Entertainer of the Year, F.I.
  • National Holiday: National Holiday has held several titles including Miss Ohio Continental Plus 2011, Miss Ohio Gay Pride 2010 and Miss Miami Valley Gay Pride 2010. She can be seen performing regularly at Bretz Bar.
  • London Asia: London Asia is currently the show director at Outskirts Bar, where she can be seen performing every Friday and Saturday night. She recently ended her reign as Miss Outskirts 2012.
  • Spacee Kadett: Spacee Kadett, from Detroit, was named the first-ever National King Entertainer of the Year in 2011. Other titles include Ms.Ter Glass Citi 2010, Mr. St. Clair County 2011 and Mr. Michigan Grand Diva 2009.
  • Orion Spank-King: Orion Spank-King is a member of the Bois w/ Outskirts, a drag king troupe based at Outskirts Bar that performs all over the region.
  • Santana Romero: Santana Romero is the current reigning Ms.ter Glass Citi and a member of the Bois W/ Outskirts.

Opera Ain’t No Drag starts at 7:30 p.m. on Saturday, February 2. Doors open at 7:00 p.m. Tickets are $15 each or 2 for $25. All proceeds benefit the Pride of Toledo Foundation and Toledo Opera.They can be purchased in person at Outskirts Bar (5038 Lewis Ave., Toledo, OH) Weds-Sat 7 p.m. – 12 a.m., online at http://operaaintnodrag.brownpapertickets.com/ or by phone at 1-800-838-3006. They will also be available at the door on the day of the show.

If you have any questions, or would like more information, please info@toledopride.com.  See you there!

 


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Sunday Funday: Everything You Need to Know

Posted on August 9, 2012 by

Sunday Funday 101:

Looking for information on Toledo Pride’s Sunday Funday event?  You’ve come to the right place!  We’ve got everything you need to know…

On Sunday, August 12 from noon to 4:00 p.m.,Toledo Pride is collaborating with the Owens Community College Gay Straight Alliance (GSA) to host a Sunday Funday for family, friends and allies of the Toledo LGBTQ community. Soak up the sun with Toledo Pride and enjoy and ice cream social along with a water balloon tournament!

Guests are encouraged to bring their own picnic baskets, blankets and chairs.  No alcohol is permitted.  We have a day full of fun games and activities for everyone to participate in.  Enjoy a beanbag toss, frisbee, chalking and much more.   At 1:00 p.m., beat the summer heat and enter the water balloon tournament.  Those wishing to stay dry can cheer on the teams from the sidelines.  At 3:00 p.m. join us for an ice cream social.

Sunday Funday will take place in the quad between Health Technologies Hall (HT) & Child Care Center (CC).  Parking will be available nearby in lots D & E. Click the map below to enlarge.  For those using GPS, Owens Community College is located at 30335 Oregon Road in Perrysburg, Ohio.  Click here for a map.

 


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Posted in Entertainment, Pride Weekend Events, Sunday Funday, Toledo Pride 101 | Tagged , , , | 3 Comments