HOUSTON – Pride Houston is opting for a block party in Montrose instead of the 2021 Pride Parade in September due to the rise in COVID-19 cases and Delta variant in the Houston area.
The organization said this decision was not based on the city of Houston.
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“We (Pride Houston) were looking forward to bringing back the parade this year since some COVID-19 restrictions have been relaxed. But as new COVID-19 infections are rising and the presence of the Delta variant we think it would be more prudent to host a smaller capacity event,” said Thasia Madison, Pride Houston president.
Pride Houston said the kickoff event was secured by a permit from the city of Houston for the September 25th Celebration Festival and Parade but decided to scale back on the annual event until 2022. The organization said its goal is to keep the community safe from contracting or spreading the coronavirus.
“However, it was our decision to postpone the parade until 2022. We love our community and want to keep it safe. We have organized several upcoming events and will follow COVID-19 precautions. We even have a vaccination drive scheduled. We are doing our part to help Houston and Harris County combat the Delta variant,” Madison said.
Here are the upcoming events that Pride Houston plans to hold with a capacity of 5,000 attendees or less:
- Saturday, 8/28 - Baewatch x Salvation, the largest LGBTQIA+ pool party in Texas @ Clé
- Sunday, 9/5 - Grand Marshal Reception @ Neon Boots
- Friday, 9/10 - Rumba Latin Night with Pride @ Neon Boots
- Saturday, 9/18 - Pride In The Country, Country and western night @ Neon Boots
- Saturday, 9/25 - Eden, Houston’s largest all Girl Party (but guys are welcome too) @ Neon Boots
- Saturday, 10/2 - Pride in Montrose, Concert & Block Party
- Monday, 10/11 - Rock the Runway, Fashion Show on National Coming Out Day benefitting our Heritage Scholarship Program @ Ballroom at Bayou Place
- Saturday, 10/16 - Rights are Human which is our Human Rights Conference to address inequities and issues such as immigration, trans rights legislation, veterans rights, etc.
- Saturday, 10/23 - Reel Pride, LGBTQIA+ Film Festival at the University of Houston Downtown
What do you think about a block party instead of a parade event? Let us know in the comments.