The Geelong Rainbow Festival is back for its second year and it’s going to be even bigger than last year. All events during the festival, February 8-10th, are inclusive and open for all to attend. Geelong Rainbow Inc. are especially excited to invite everyone to the Geelong Rainbow Pride March and Fair Day on the Sunday. The day will commence with a march through Geelong’s CBD at 11.30 and conclude at Johnstone Park for a day of free entertainment and community fun the whole family will enjoy.
Geelong Rainbow Inc. now in only its third year of operation, were delighted by the crowds in the inaugural festival in 2018 with all ticketed events selling out and the free centrepiece event Fair Day attracting more than 1,000 people.
Along with crowd favourites the Opening Night and SQUAD Party, this year will see some new events including Ballroom Dancing and an LGBTQIA+ Health and Wellbeing Forum.
Geelong Rainbow Inc. Co-President Jo Bangles said “Geelong’s LGBTQIA+ community felt it was time that we celebrated right here in our home town. We are all really proud of our town and we want to show the rest of Australia how diverse Geelong is.”
Geelong Rainbow Festival was created by Geelong Rainbow Inc. in response to a growing LGBTQIA+ community here in the Geelong area wanting to celebrate their pride locally. Similar events have been running for more than 30 years in Melbourne and for over 20 years in other regional towns in Victoria but this is Geelong’s first Pride Festival.
Activities throughout the Festival are being produced by prominent local businesses, other LGBTQIA+ support organisations as well as larger corporates via their internal Pride networks.
Co-President and founding member Wayne Landkroon adds “Over the last 12 months we have been engaging with organisations throughout the Geelong region and there is definitely a strong sense from the local corporate and small business communities that support for all employees is important and they are really working to make sure that inclusion is not just something that involves training but that their staff are supported and celebrated.”
All event information and tickets are available from the Geelong Rainbow Festival Facebook page. For more information please contact: Jo Bangles on 0419 621 358.
Information supplied. Photo showing Geelong supporting Vote Yes.
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