Everyone is welcome to attend the Northwoods Pride Festival Saturday, June 29, from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the Lakeside Center on the Nicolet College Campus.

“The Northwoods Pride festival is a day of festivities for the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer community and allies,” said Don Schindhelm, event organizer and member of the Northwoods Pride Committee. “It’s a free event and open to the public. People are encouraged to stop by, enjoy the festivities, and show their acceptance and support for LGBTQ friends, neighbors and family.”

Numerous events will fill the day starting at 10 a.m. with family activities that include face painting, rainbow bracelet making, and several interactive games for kids provided by The Children’s Museum of Eagle River.

Lunch and live music will kick off at noon with brats, hotdogs, beans and coleslaw provided by Trig’s Smokehouse and a Rainbow Northwoods Pride cake provided by Trig’s Bakery. Live acoustic music will be provided by Brett Schwartz and Daniel Sukow.

At 1 p.m. the drag show featuring performers from across Wisconsin, including state competition titleholders, will take place in the Nicolet College Theatre which is located in the Lakeside Center.

This will be followed at 2 p.m. with indie music by Aqua Girl. Winning bids of silent auction items will be announced at around 2:30 p.m. The event will wrap up at 3 p.m. with closing remarks and an open mic session.

A community resource fair will also run from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. with information booths by Adoption Choice Inc., AIDS Resource Center of Wisconsin, Behavioral Health Clinic of Wausau, First Congregational United Church of Christ, KIN Youth Program, Nicolet College Library, Project North and the Warehouse Art Center.

Sponsors of this third annual Northwoods Pride Festival include the Nicolet College Rainbow Hodags, Rhinelander Honda, Associated Bank, and Northwoods Gardener. For more information, go to nicoletcollege.edu/northwoodspride.

The Northwoods Pride Festival, in its third year, is held on the last Saturday of June to commemorate the start of the gay rights movement 50 years ago after the Stonewall Riots on June 28, 1969, in New York City.  The Stonewall Riots were a tipping point for the gay liberation movement in the United States and were followed by several days of demonstrations in New York to protest police discrimination and laws against homosexual and transgender people. Since then, June has become Pride Month around the world with celebrations being held in every major city and in many small towns.

Nicolet College is located one mile south of Rhinelander just off of Hwy. G.

For more information, visit nicoletcollege.edu/northwoodspride.