From puppets to magic to animals, Family Pride Zone has it all
DAVID TAFFET | Senior Staff Writer
taffet@dallasvoice.com
The Family Pride Zone returns to the Dallas Pride Music Festival at Fair Park this year, sponsored once again by Dallas Voice and Rainbow Roundup. This year it’ll be in the Automobile Building in an area designed especially for families. Family Pride Zone opens at 11 a.m. when the main gates to the festival open, and it will remain open until 6 p.m.
As always, the Family Pride Zone will feature games, entertainment, face painters, bounce houses and vendor booths. The entertainment lineup includes a return of master puppeteer Dennis Lee. Wildlife on the Move brings exotic animals to the festival, and gay magician Daryl Howard offers some close-up magic. New this year are Pickle Ball, presented by Chicken N Pickles, and the smooth sounds for dancing from DJ Deluxe.
Family-friendly vendors set up in Family Pride Zone this year will include the SPCA of Texas, Rainbow Roundup, the law offices of Lorie Burch and a variety of churches that welcome diverse families. The Dallas Public Library will be on hand to participate with books and games, and costumed characters will roam the area and interact with the kids.
Games include ring toss, Giant Jenga, tug-of-war and more. Four or five big bounce houses for kids of all ages will fill a large portion of the room, and face painters will be on hand as will artisans creating balloon animals.
The Family Pride Zone is inside the gated area of the festival, so parents and those 20 and older must pay $10 admission. Admission for teens is $5, and those 12 and under may enter free.
The area will be staffed with security professionals to keep everyone safe and secure. No coolers or alcohol are allowed in the Family Pride Zone. Family-friendly, summer-appropriate attire is requested.
………………..
Teen Pride
10 years of Pride for Real Live Connection
DAVID TAFFET | Senior Staff Writer
taffet@dallasvoice.com
Real Live Connection celebrates its 10th year of hosting Teen Pride in Dallas this year, with the LGBTQ teen-specific party happening Saturday, June 3, in conjunction with the Pride Music Festival at Fair Park. Teen Pride was created to provide safe environment where LGBTQ youth and their friends ages 13 to 19 can celebrate Pride as part of the annual Dallas Pride Music Festival.
RLC Founder Amanda Robinson said that in 2014 she really began to recognize the potential and the need for Teen Pride in the DFW metropolitan area. In the decade since then, she said, the event has grown tremendously.
Teen Pride has become a flagship event for RLC, attracting thousands of young adults each year. About 40 young people attended the first Teen Pride event in 2014. Since then, Teen Pride attendance has broken records; more than 15,000 people attended in 2022, Robinson said. The organization’s emphasis on LGBTQ young adults and allies is vital as this demographic makes up the largest group of at-risk youth, she noted.
Teen Pride will be open from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. during the festival, and the lineup is filled with artists and DJs and other age-appropriate activities. Local animal rescue groups will participate by spending part of their time at the park with the teens.
The theme for this year’s event is “A Wrinkle In Time,” reflecting on the history of Dallas Teen Pride, Robinson said. The celebration will include a display showcasing the history of the organization and its events over the last decade.
Teen Pride is also bringing back all the fun events that youth are used to seeing, including The Famous Star-Studded Drag Show presented by Kennedy Davenport, and the KiKi Ball presented by Southeast GC KiKi Scene Alliance featuring legendary J-Rock Ebony commenting on mic.
This year’s event will also include indoor roller skating, and DJ Holly Mecca will be spinning along with a special guest DJ. There will be a panel presentation called “Trust the Process,” a trans youth discussion with talks hosted by Twan McGary and panelists Nikko, Trent, Cortez Mick Rose, Treach Ebony and Jurnee.
