Long Island Pride will return as an in-person, ticketed event this year at Eisenhower Park in East Meadow, LGBT Network president Dr. David Kilmnick announced on April 29.
The Pride concert at the county park’s Harry Chapin Lakeside Theatre will have a 500-person capacity and require all attendees to provide proof of being fully vaccinated for Covid-19. It will take place on Sunday, June 13, from noon to 4 p.m.
“We are going to be together again,” Kilmnick said. “How good does that sound, and how good does that feel?”
Nassau County Executive Laura Curran joined Kilmnick on Facebook Live for the announcement.
“It’s going to be wonderful to be together again,” she said. “About 70 percent of our adults have had at least one dose of the vaccine, and … I’m just happy to celebrate our LGBT community.”
The LGBT Network designed this year’s Pride based on an online survey that quickly garnered more than 500 responses, Kilmnick said. More than 70 percent said they were willing to attend an in-person event, and about 80 percent said they were OK with the event requiring attendees to be vaccinated.
“People spoke, we listened,” Kilmnick said. “Since the capacity is 500, we anticipate this event to sell out very quickly.”
Long Island Pride has been an annual celebration of the LGBT community during Pride Month for around 30 years, first taking place in Huntington, and most recently in Long Beach. Last year, the event was set to run at Jones Beach in Wantagh before all in-person events were canceled due to the pandemic. The LGBT Network held a virtual Pride event for 2020 instead.
General admission tickets, VIP tickets, and sponsorships for Long Island Pride are available at lipride.org. Same day entry will not be permitted. The event will be live streamed for those not in attendance.
This story originally appeared in Gay City News’ sister publication, Long Island Press.
