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WELCOME TO STATEN ISLAND LGBT PRIDE !!

Saturday, June 3, 2006

Rain or Shine

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Greetings!  The Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender (LGBT) Health and Wellness Program of Community Health Action welcomes you to

Staten Island’s 2^nd Annual LGBT Pride Parade and Festival. 

This event, run entirely by volunteers, is a labor of love and devotion. 

Now it is time to come out, join the celebration and party!

Most of the events will take place along the boardwalk/promenade in

Ocean Breeze and Midland Beach.

Below you will find General Information about the day as well as specific Participant (Groups, Vendors, Entertainers, Special Guests) Information

General Information

The Parade – 12 Noon

The LGBT Pride Parade will step off at about 12 Noon near the Ocean Breeze Fishing Pier.  It is located near the intersection of Seaview Avenue and Father Capodanno Blvd.  Volunteers and signs will direct you to the staging area.  We will march along the promenade to the Midland Beach picnic area, just over 1 mile away. 

The LGBT Pride Celebration – 1:00 PM on

Come enjoy a day near the beach.  The Midland Beach picnic area has picnic tables and barbecues. (Come early.  They are taken quickly.)  There is an adjacent playground for children, basketball and handball courts, and a ball field.  Best of all, there is the beach!  Throughout the day there will be entertainment, a DJ, activities and a few special guests.  Many LGBT community organizations will have information tables.  Also, we have a number of vendors that will be set up along the adjacent promenade where you can purchase refreshments and goods.

Helpful Suggestions

We suggest that you park your car at the Midland Beach parking lot located adjacent to the picnic area at Lincoln Avenue and Father Capodanno Blvd.  If you are participating in the parade, it may be a good idea to drop off your passengers at the Ocean Breeze Fishing Pier and park your car at Midland Beach.  To assist you, we will be providing a shuttle van that will be making continuous runs from Midland Beach to Ocean Breeze for approximately one hour prior to the parade.  If you need help or have a question at the event, look for our volunteers wearing purple “Crew” shirts or purple “Volunteer” buttons.

Directions  (All events are accessed from Father Capodanno Blvd.)

Public Transportation: The S-51 bus serves Father Capodanno Blvd.  It originates from Ramp B at the St. George terminal and runs along Bay Street, School Road, and Lily Pond Avenue (connection from S-53) to Father Capodanno Blvd. where you can get off at Seaview Avenue for the Parade and/or Midland Avenue for the celebration. The S-51 can also be accessed from Richmond Road and Midland Avenue (connection from S-74), running along Midland Avenue and crossing Hylan Blvd. (connection from S-78 and S-79) to Father Capodanno Blvd.

Driving: From the Verrazano Narrows Bridge, use lower level and use Exit 15S onto Lily Pond Avenue towards South Beach, then as below.  From the Outerbridge Crossing, follow signs to the West Shore Expressway, then to the Staten Island Expressway East towards the Verrazano.  From the Goethals and Bayonne Bridges, follow I-278 East (Staten Island Expressway) towards the Verrazano Bridge.  Everyone: You access Father Capodanno Blvd. from the Staten Island Expressway, Exit 15 for South Beach/Lily Pond Avenue.  At the end of the ramp turn right onto Lily Pond Avenue.  Lily Pond Avenue becomes Father Capodanno Blvd. when you reach the beachfront.

From the South Shore, you can access Father Capodanno Blvd. from Richmond Road or Hylan Blvd. by making a right Midland Avenue. Continue on Midland Avenue to the beachfront and Father Capodanno Blvd.  To reach the staging area at the parade, make a left turn and proceed to Seaview Avenue.  To reach the festival, make a right turn and then the next left into the Midland Beach parking lot.

Staten Island Ferry departs Manhattan at 10:30 AM, 11:30 AM, Noon, then half-hourly.  If you plan on participating in the parade, you need to be on the 10:30 AM ferry.

Participant Information

This will inform our community groups, vendors, entertainers and guest speakers when to arrive to set up.  The accompanying information sheet gives general information, directions and a map.

Community Groups:  Parade participants should arrive at the Ocean Breeze Fishing Pier starting at 11:15 AM.  The parade steps off at noon.  Please see Wayne Steinman or other volunteers wearing purple “Crew” shirts or purple “Volunteer” buttons at the Parade site with questions.  This year we are grouping community members as follows: 

n          Community Health Action and the LGBT Wellness Program groups

n          The Lesbian and Gay Big Apple Corps Band

n          AIDS Service Organizations (honoring 25 years of the epidemic)

n          Special guests

n          Staten Island LGBT organizations

n          General LGBT organizations

n          The community at large

Please look for signs that identify these contingents.  Our volunteers will help you line up.

If your group has pre-registered to table at the Festival, we ask that you arrive at the Midland Beach Picnic Area between 10:30 AM and Noon.  We will be providing shared tabling and two chairs for each registered group.  Please see John Adrian or Jean-Marie Bruzzese at the Information Table or other volunteers wearing purple “Crew” shirts or purple “Volunteer” buttons at the Parade site if you have questions.  If you are walking in the parade, you can head to the parade start after your table is set up.  We will be providing shuttle service.

Vendors:  Please arrive at the Midland Beach parking lot, located on Father Capodanno Blvd. and Lincoln Avenue at 10:00 AM.   Look for Elizabeth Moreno or Marie Ortiz or other volunteers wearing purple “Crew” shirts or purple “Volunteer” buttons.  You will be directed to your location.  We will have a “food court” in the parking lot, close to the picnic area, for food vendors and those vendors who are using a vehicle to sell their wares.  Other vendors will be allowed to set up tables in a designated merchandise area inside the festival grounds (along the inside of the fence along Father Capodanno Blvd.).

Entertainers:  Our stage manager Jill Price will contact you to arrange your performance time.  A Parks Department stage has been secured for the day and will be located in the picnic area along the beach promenade fence.  Only those persons who will be entertaining or speaking will be allowed behind the stage.  If you are coming with friends and family, they must wait outside the stage area.  When you arrive at the Festival, please see Jill Price or other volunteers wearing purple “Crew” shirts or purple “Volunteer” buttons at the entrance to the stage area.