CAROLINE SAVOIE | East Texas Reporter
CaroSavo@StoryDustSearch.com
SUN BARREL CITY — Cedar Creek Lake Pride returns for its annual three-day celebration June 26-28, and organizers say this year feels bigger and more supported than ever.
The local LGBTQ+ pride organization, which started as a one-day gathering on the lake, is heading into its most structured season yet. Jamye Montgomery, one of the organization’s founders and directors, said the planning committee has grown from just two people to a core group of eight to 10 regular members. She said the organization is in the process of filing for 501(c)(3) nonprofit status, and a new annual fundraiser is taking shape for early next year.
“We’ve become so much more organized and supported at every level,” Montgomery said.
“We’ve got a number of things coming down the pike for people to get excited about and involved with.”
This year’s Pride celebration opens June 26 with a welcome party at Elements by 456 in Gun Barrel City, beginning at 5:30 p.m. Saturday, June 27, brings Splash Day on the Lake at Tom Finley Park from 2 to 7 p.m. This is a free, family-friendly event open to guests arriving by boat or by land. The weekend closes June 28 with a drag brunch, which this year has moved to a new venue.
After selling out the drag brunch at Triple N Ranch Winery in Trinidad for the past two years, organizers relocated the event to Plowboys, a larger venue that will allow them to nearly double capacity. Previous years capped attendance at around 110 to 115 tickets. This year, they are hoping to sell 200.
The local DJ who headlined the welcome party and Splash Day last year, DJ Tori, is returning for those two events. The drag entertainers performing at the brunch are bringing their own DJ.
This year’s drag brunch will also mark the inaugural presentation of Cedar Creek Lake Pride’s Ally in Action Award, an annual recognition the organization will give each year to an individual or business that has shown meaningful support for the LGBTQ+ community.
The first recipient is Michelle Anderson, owner of Triple N Ranch Winery, the venue that hosted the sold-out drag brunch for the past two years.
“We wanted to be able to thank some of our biggest allies each year,” Montgomery said.
Cedar Creek Lake Pride also added a new event to its June calendar this year: a Trash Disco at the start of Pride Month. The concept, introduced by co-founder Jerry Scott, draws from a tradition in which Sunday celebrations continued into the afternoon at local gay clubs. The event was well attended, Montgomery said, and gave the organization a way to mark Pride from the beginning of the month rather than concentrating everything in the final weekend.
Organizers have also been building community throughout the year through monthly mixers at Tiki Hut Bar and Grill.
New to Splash Day this year is a booth from a transportation network organization focused on helping transgender people and their families reach areas that may be more affirming or accessible for medical care and other needs. The group will be on hand to share information about their services with attendees.
Nonprofit status approaching
Perhaps the most significant development behind the scenes is Cedar Creek Lake Pride’s move toward formal nonprofit incorporation. The organization has filed paperwork with the Texas Secretary of State to become a 501(c)(3), a step Montgomery said has been in discussion for the past two years. The process gained momentum when Seth Thomas, a community member with experience in nonprofit formation, stepped in to lead the effort.
“I’ve been pressing on it for the last two years,” Montgomery said. “I just really didn’t have the time, and it seemed like such a big undertaking. Then Seth Thomas came into our lives, and we’re so grateful.”
The designation will give the organization a formal structure for accepting donations and applying for grants, which organizers said will be especially useful as they take over an existing LGBTQ+ fundraiser.
Red Tie gets new life
Cedar Creek Lake’s Red Tie event, an annual fundraising gathering traditionally held around Valentine’s Day, has been a fixture in the local LGBTQ+ community for years. Muddy Moxley, an organizer at the church that previously hosted it, reached out to Cedar Creek Lake Pride earlier this year to ask if the group would be willing to take it on, after their own congregation no longer had the capacity to run it.
Montgomery said yes. She said that next year’s event is planned for February, at the same venue where it has historically been held. A planning committee is already forming, with Danny Ferre named as committee chair. A specific date will be announced.
The fundraiser will benefit Cedar Creek Lake Pride’s broader programming efforts, including future events and community organizations in the area.
“This is an event that the LGBTQ community has enjoyed coming to, along with our allies,” Montgomery said. “And we wanted to keep that going.”
Cedar Creek Lake Pride’s three-day celebration runs June 26-28 in and around Gun Barrel City. More information is available at CedarCreekLakePride.com.