Around 500 people from primarily North Carolina and Virginia turned out for the 6th Annual OBX Pridefest this past weekend in Nags Head.
The celebration took place despite the negative press the Old North State has received due to a few narrow-minded people in Raleigh. Instead, gay men and women, straight allies, children, drag performers, and a large contingency from the trans community took advantage of the stellar weather to enjoy the weekend-long celebration.
Emceed by drag legend Jennifer Warner, the weekend kicked off with a sunset cruise on Friday night, followed by a soundside concert by the Steve Grand Trio. Saturday’s Pridefest was held steps from the beach in Nags Head. Saturday night, Suzanne Westenhoefer entertained the crowd. And the highlight of Sunday’s festivities was a ribald drag brunch.
It’s amazing that Pridefest happens at all. It’s held at the peak of hurricane season and most of it is outside. It’s tough to get a hotel room. And let’s face it, the Outer Banks is just that: outer. This year, the organizers had the extra concern that HB2 might impact attendance. Turns it, it was all for naught. They were quite happy with the turnout and enthusiasm.
As for us here at Outwire757, we were excited to run into a bunch of friends from Hampton Roads including the MJ’s Tavern Army of Regulars.
