Jam-Packed LGBT Extravaganza: This Sunday Is Fair Day!
Image: Image: Markham Lane
The all-day rainbow extravaganza that kicks off the Mardi Gras Festival is back with a jam-packed day of community pride and celebration, hosted by Mon Schafter and Faustina Agolley.
ABC Sydney presenter Josh Szeps will be broadcasting live from the park, and triple j will be crossing live throughout the day.
ABC’s current and former hosts of RN Breakfast, Patricia Karvelas and Fran Kelly will also be hosting a special live edition of The Party Room from Fair Day’s Arena.
Began as a Modest Queer Family Picnic in 1982
Mardi Gras Fair Day is a firm tradition. It started as a modest queer family picnic back in 1982 organised by the Gay Business Alliance (now Sydney Gay and Lesbian Business Alliance) and held in Shannon Reserve, Surry Hills.
One of the early highlight events was mud wrestling. Fair Day quickly became popular and unwieldy and it was eventually completely absorbed into the 1985 Mardi Gras festival and relocated to Glebe Park, Glebe Point.
But, like a pet alligator, it again grew unexpectedly large, unexpectedly quickly, and in 1997, Fair Day was moved to its current home, Victoria Park, Camperdown. More amenities, better transport, gorgeously landscaped surrounds, and the addition of evening entertainment expanded it into a big day picnic/night disco event.
True Family Affair
Fair Day 2022 promises to deliver everything we love: Doggywood, the sports micro-lympics, hundreds of community stalls representing stripes and colours from all over the state, “Best in show” competitions, fairground attractions and kids activities, amazing food and drink, chillout areas, photo ops, and incredible entertainment.
This is a true family affair with a high level of security and care, variety, great ambience, and lots of cute-costumed canines.
Fair Day is one of the most heart-warming, unifying social events on the queer calendar. Start packing your baskets.
February 20, 10am – 9pm at Victoria Park, City Rd, Camperdown
