Montclair’s annual LGBTQ+ Pride festival has been delayed a second time, with organizers and town officials now targeting Oct. 11 as the new date. The new date would align the event with National Coming Out Day.
Out Montclair, the nonprofit behind the festival, had already pushed the celebration back once this month, moving it from its original June 13 date to Aug. 1 after citing significant financial challenges and the loss of key corporate sponsors, including Audi, its presenting sponsor.
Mayor Renee Baskerville told NJ.com that the August date had never been approved by the township and presented logistical conflicts with other summer events and staff vacation schedules. “I was dumbfounded, as was everybody else,” she said.
In a statement emailed to Out In Jersey previously for a story on the festival’s first postponement, Audi attributed its withdrawal to scheduling conflicts rather than to the political considerations that have prompted many sponsors to pull back in recent years.
“Unfortunately, we were not able to sponsor this year’s event due to conflicting planning deadlines with the event organizers, however, we look forward to exploring sponsorship for next year’s event,” Audi spokesperson Michele Lucarelli said in the statement.
The funds raised from corporate sponsors help cover the cost of public safety services required by the township for the event: police, firefighters and EMS. Baskerville has said Out Montclair must cover those costs in full and upfront, as the organization has carried outstanding balances with the township in prior years. Out Montclair launched a GoFundMe campaign to offset the shortfall, raising $14,640 of a $55,000 goal, though the campaign has been temporarily paused for unspecified reasons.
Out Montclair Co-founder Madeline Gale confirmed the latest delay to NJ.com, noting the shift had come together quickly. “This has all just happened over the last few days,” she said. “This has all been a recent development.”
Despite the uncertainty, Baskerville expressed confidence the festival would move forward. “I feel very confident that it’s going to happen,” she told ABC7. “I have every confidence that they will move forward and that we will have an amazing event.”
Now in its fifth year, the festival typically draws thousands of attendees. The event is planned for Lackawanna Station at Bloomfield Avenue and Grove Street in Montclair.
—Additional reporting by Editor-In-Chief Nick Petruncio.
