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Preparations underway for Dungarvan’s first LGBTQ+ Pride Festival

Preparations underway for Dungarvan’s first LGBTQ+ Pride Festival

Dungarvan’s first ever LGBTQ+ Pride Festival is set to take place on the 18th of June.

The event will be held in Walton Park, Abbeyside.

Last year, then Mayor of Waterford, Cllr. Damien Geoghegan (Fine Gael) raised the Pride Flag at the Civic Offices in Dungarvan for the pride month of June, while he also did so at City Hall in Waterford City.

Local businesses and homes across the county also donned the rainbow colours in solidarity with the community, given a number of events where flags were removed and burnt, while straight pride posters appeared.

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This year’s Pride Festival was approved funding by Waterford City & County Council back in February, and organisers are working hard behind the scene for the showpiece event.

Emilene Stafford is one of the committee’s co-chairs, and she’s told WLR News that the decision to hold a festival was borne from the success of a video produced last year.

“We made a video around Dungarvan with the help of Dirk Baumann Lighting. We lit up all the primary buildings in the town in the colours of the rainbow. We made this video and used frontline workers in the video. It was our virtual pride parade. It was shared by New York Pride, London Pride, Amsterdam Pride and Manchester Pride. That was just fabulous. So, when the world re-opened - we decided, we just had to have an actual pride festival.”

Organisers are looking for all sectors of the local community to get involved. Pride bunting will be displayed all over the town of Dungarvan for the month of June, while buildings will be lit up in the rainbow colours. Emilene says the 18th promises to be an entertaining day for all.

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“We’re looking for everybody to come. This isn’t just for the LGBTQ+ community. This is for everyone. We are all one, it shouldn’t be us and them - and that’s our idea. Local drag queen Lady Fifi Fondue will be introducing it - she will have acts with some of her friends. There’ll be a band that are yet to disclose their name but they played at Electric Picnic. We’re gonna have the Wobbly Circus, The Dog Lady doing a dog show - picnics in the park and a lot more. The whole thing will go on from 4 to 9pm.”

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