CAROLINE SAVOIE | Staff Writer
CarolineLSavoie@gmail.com
GUN BARREL CITY — Cedar Creek Lake Pride is making a splash this weekend with its most ambitious celebration yet, expanding to a full weekend of events, starting Friday, June 27, and going through Sunday, June 29.
The LGBTQ+ Pride celebration kicks off Friday evening with a Splash Kickoff Party at Elements by 456 in Gun Barrel City. Local Pride organizers Jamye Montgomery and Jerry Scoot said the event will start at 5:30 p.m., and it will feature food, drinks and a chance for community members and allies to connect before the main festivities begin.
Montgomery said that Saturday’s Splash Pride Party will be in Tom Finley Park instead of exclusively on the lake as in previous years. She said costs for a waterfront venue accessible by both land and boat increased the Pride budget significantly, but they want to invest in the community to make sure everyone can be included.
From 2-7 p.m., guests can expect live music, food trucks, vendors and activities for kids, which Montgomery said are all part of a conscious effort to make this year’s Pride more inclusive and accessible.
“We wanted to open it up for people who might not have a boat,” she said. “So we moved the celebration to a public park with space for everyone. Pride is all about being inclusive, right?”
Sunday wraps with a sold-out Drag Brunch at Triple N Ranch Winery in Trinidad, from 11 a.m.-2 p.m. Montgomery said community members bought all 126 tickets within 48 hours, and the waiting list is still growing. Tickets cost $50 and include brunch and performances by local drag artists.
Scott and Montgomery, who started the event as a one-day celebration several years ago, say this year marks a major step forward. With the support of new board members and local sponsors — many of them straight-owned businesses — Cedar Creek Lake Pride is reaching new levels of visibility and support.
“It’s been tough to let go of the reins,” said Scott. “But when we needed help, people showed up. We’ve had no negative comments, even in such a conservative area. That was surprising and encouraging.”
Still, they said the expansion hasn’t come without growing pains. Coordinating vendors, securing insurance and renting out the $2,000 lakeside pavilion took significant effort, especially for organizers who used to simply gather boats on the lake.
“Splash has become less of a day to relax and more of a day to host,” Scott said. “I’m not even taking my boat out this year. The other two days are more relaxing for us for sure, and the boat day is about making sure everyone is safe and taken care of.”
Even with challenges, Cedar Creek Lake Pride continues to grow, and organizers say they hope to build deeper connections with nearby cities like Tyler and foster more collaboration across East Texas.
“This is about visibility, community and joy,” Montgomery said. “We want people to feel like there’s space for them here, whether they come by land or water.”