Celebrate Pride in Newcastle this August!
Image: Newcastle Pride Festival returns in August of 2019. Photo: Newcastle Pride Festival/Facebook
The city of Newcastle in NSW’s Hunter region will host it’s second annual Newcastle Pride Festival from the 17th to the 26th of August this year.
Organisers say the festival aims to create an opportunity for the LGBTQI community by fostering pride and celebrating diversity in the region.
The also want the event to enhance the visibility of the LGBTQI community in Newcastle and to facilitate a positive change in mainstream attitudes towards LGBTQI people.
“We are really pleased with the support and enthusiasm shown by members of our communities, sponsors, partners, supporters and other allies,” organisers say.
The Festival program includes a range of different events.
On Saturday, 17th of August, the Wallsend West Newcastle Swans ARFC will celebrate its Pride Round with the Wyong Lakes AFC. The Pride Round is about celebrating diversity and inclusion in sport and the fight against discrimination and homophobia and will take place at Bill Elliott Oval, Maryland.
Then on Thursday, the 22nd of August it’s Rainbow Families Storytime. All families are invited to join this special drag song and dance story time with Timberlina, Newcastle’s star drag queen. This event is taking place at Newcastle Library.
On Thursday, the 22nd of August and Monday, the 26th of August go see the Serving in Silence exhibition opening and forum. This exhibition showcases the history of LGBTIQ+ military service in Australia since World War II via photographs, objects, documents and life stories and is being held in the Local History Lounge of Newcastle Library.
Then on Friday the 23rd of August it’s time for the Twisted Cabaret: Festival Launch event. Expect a night of twisted camp carry-on in one of Newcastle’s most unique and prestigious venues, showcasing queer burlesque and LGBTIQ+ performance artists at Newcastle City Hall.
Saturday the 24th of August is Newcastle’s Pride Fair Day, a free family-friendly event which will include market stalls, food vans, community stalls, kids activities, a “Doggywood” parade, demonstrations by emergency services and others, and non-stop centre stage entertainment. This event is taking place in Newcastle Foreshore Park.
Then, in the evening, it’s time to hit the dance floor at the Heaven and Hell Dance Party featuring DJ Victoria Anthony, DJ Mason Andrews and DJ Kate Monroe and entertainment at the Cambridge Hotel.
At the same venue on the same night is the Return to Pipers 80s Dance Party featuring DJs and drag shows from the era of Newcastle’s iconic Pipers gay venue of the 1980s.
Sunday the 25th of August is the festival’s post-dance party recovery event. Enjoy a delicious brunch, strong aromatic coffee or even a “hair of the dog” Bloody Mary while relaxing in the intimate and quirky LGBTIQ+ friendly Ka-fey café in the Hunter Street Mall.
Later that day, enjoy the Short ‘n’ Curlies Matinee, a collection of short Australian and International queer films hosted by Newcastle’s own comical movie reviewers David and Margaret. This event is sponsored by ACON and curated by QueerScreen and is taking place at the Newcastle Museum.
Then it’s time for Timberlina’s Drag Off 2019, a drag competition that will run every Sunday in August with three heats.
One person from each heat will make it to the grand final on August 25 and the winner will take home the crown of Timberlina’s Drag Off 2019 at the Exchange Hotel, Hamilton.
Newcastle Pride has already secured several on-going and new sponsors and supporters for this year’s festival, in the form of both cash and in-kind contributions.
Major Sponsors for the 2019 Pride Festival are ANZ, Hunter Water and Equip Multimedia.
Event sponsors for the 2019 Festival include ACON , AECOM, AGL Energy, Australia Post, City of Newcastle, Hunter IVF, LaneCampos Real Estate, Newcastle Airport and Port Waratah.
Other supporters are listed on the festival’s website.
One of the Festival Partners, the Holiday Inn Express Newcastle, will be offering special rates for visitors during the Newcastle Pride Festival.
The Holiday Inn Express features 170 well-designed rooms and is a 2 minute walk to the festival’s dance party venue the Cambridge Hotel, and a short tram or bus ride to other festival events.
The offer is $180/night flat rate and free breakfast for any night during the festival.
Type NP1 into the Group Code box when making your booking to get the $180 rate.
More information, including travel and other useful information for visitors, can be found online at www.newcastlepride.com.au
Newcastle is a wonderful, friendly, innovative and vibrant city! I will be there with my libertarian mates – despite me living in Forbes NSW. They even have the best university (the University of Newcastle) there within the country. Sydney on the other hand – has become an embarrassing joke, always having traffic jams in the 2-lane harbour tunnel 24 hours a day caused by the King’s Cross exit and crime going completely through the roof and it is just best to stay away from there for good, thanks to the draconian anti-business 2014 lockout laws.
– Gay Libertarian Paul Mitchell