PANAMA CITY BEACH — Pride Month comes to a close locally with a series of weekend events, starting with the Pride Beach Party from noon to 5 p.m. on Saturday.
All ages are welcome to the family-friendly event on the shore by Rick Seltzer Park, 7419 Thomas Drive, Panama City Beach. Activities will feature games and free giveaways. Bottled water and sodas will be provided for free by Splash Bar.
Participants are encouraged to arrive early for the best parking and the best spots on the sand. For more details, visit SplashBarFlorida.com, follow Splash Bar Florida on Facebook, or call 850-236-3450.
2019 photos:“Gay the Hathaway” spreads pride and rainbows
More:Downtown Panama City hosts Bay Pride Festival
Much social progress has been made during the half-century since the Stonewall Riots, which took place in 1969 in the streets of New York City’s Greenwich Village. That event marked the start of the modern “gay rights” movement, according to Cindy Wilker, speaking for the LGBTQ Center of Bay County before the 2019 Bay Pride Festival.
“Although a great deal of progress has been made, there is still much to do. This is also poignant in regard to our own organization,” Wilker said. “We are just over one year old as an organization. It’s incredible to think about what we’ve been able to achieve with community, business and local government support in such a short period of time — especially after the devastation from Hurricane Michael.”
Closing party promises to be a drag
The Pride 2021 Closing Party — aka “The Main Event” — will be from 8 p.m. Saturday to 4 a.m. Sunday at Splash Bar, 6520 Thomas Drive, Panama City Beach. Featured performers will include “RuPaul’s Drag Race” All Stars Morgan McMichaels and Bebe Zahara Benet, as seen on VH1 and Paramount+.
Morgan McMichaels is the stage name of Thomas White. A local fixture in Southern California’s drag circuit, White became a reality television personality when he joined the cast of Season 2 of “RuPaul’s Drag Race.”
BeBe Zahara Benet is the drag name of Nea Marshall Kudi Ngwa, a performer, former male model, Season 1 winner of “RuPaul’s Drag Race,” and one of the contestants of All Stars 3. Born in Cameroon, she moved to the United States in her teens.
Celebrating its 21st year in business, Splash Bar has become a mainstay of Las Vegas style entertainment and is known for shows featuring MTV celebrities and VH1 superstars. The Main Event is sponsored by Panama City Beach Pride Events and Splash Bar Florida, with Pride swag provided by The Pernod Ricard Co. with Absolut and Malibu brands.
Also performing will be local drag stars Envy DuVall, China Moon and Valkyrie Valhalla. Music will be provided by special guest DJ KRUSH. Patrons must be 18 to enter and 21 to drink. Showtimes will be at midnight and 2 a.m. For more details, visit SplashBarFlorida.com or call 850-236-3450
“These entertainers are at the top of their game,” organizers said in a social media post. “Every year, this event grows to capacity, so come out early and grab the best parking and best seats”
Outside from 8 to 10 p.m., vocalist Ivy Hunter will be singing favorite pop and country songs on the main stage.
Tickets are available via Eventbrite.com, with tickets provided for free to anyone with a Bay County-issued I.D. (Select the “Free Local” ticket option on Eventbrite.com.) Underage guests (those age 18-20) should select the “Underage” ticket to gain entry to this event.
General admission tickets for those without a local I.D. are $15; VIP tickets are $25; and tickets for non-Bay County residents who are underage will be $20.
Note: SplashBar will also host a Queen of Pride competition Friday, June 25, with showtimes at midnight and 2 a.m. Saturday.
Grab brunch, then ‘Gay the Hathaway’
House of Henry in downtown Panama City will host a “Drag Me To Brunch” event from noon to 3 p.m. Sunday, June 27. With a theme of “Pride in the Name of Love,” the event will feature live drag shows, vocalists and a comedy emcee, according to online posts.
House of Henry, an authentic Irish pub and eatery, is located at 461 Harrison Ave. in Panama City. Tickets for “Drag Me To Brunch” can be booked at Eventbrite.com, with General Admission $10 each, or $15 for couples.
Afterward, the LGBTQ Center of Bay County Inc., the LEAD Coalition and Bay County Black Voters Matter are co-hosting the annual “Gay The Hathaway” from 4-7 p.m. on Sunday. The three-hour event is free and open to the public.
Participants are encouraged to park at Carl Gray Park, located by Gulf Coast State College and walk together to take up positions in the pedestrian path along the Hathaway Bridge.
“It’s that time of year again to ‘Gay the Hathaway,’ where we span the bridge and turn it into our very own rainbow,” organizers said in an event announcement. “When we, the marginalized and minority communities, often have small voices come together in the world around us, we come together armed in numbers with our presence, fortitude and most importantly our voices, we demand to be seen, to be brave and to be heard.”
Participants may bring signs, flags and “put on your best Pride armor” — and wear comfortable shoes, organizers said: “When the cars come over that bridge, we want them to think they’re driving over the rainbow and we’ll be right there to greet them. We’ll speak our message but do it with love as we wave at them and thumbs-up their honks of support.”
Providing special events for the community at large is one tool that the LGBTQ Center, a 501(c)3 organization, uses to build a stronger and more inclusive community across the Panhandle. For more information, visit LGBTQCenterOfBayCounty.org or follow the organization on social media.
PRIDE MONTH CLOSING EVENTS
Friday: Queen of Pride competition at SplashBar
Saturday: Beach Party from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. at Rick Seltzer Park; Main Event at SplashBar from 8 p.m. to 4 a.m.
Sunday: Drag me to Brunch at House of Henry from noon to 3 p.m.; Gay the Hathaway march from 4-7 p.m.
