New Jersey’s only Gay Pride Parade and largest Festival is next Sunday
Jersey Pride kicks off this year at noon on Sunday, June 3, and the party goes into the evening until 7:00. The event takes place in Asbury Park, where in addition to the standard Pride staples such as funnel cakes, vendors, and of course, the much beloved beer trucks, there is always live entertainment.
The festivities of Pride always require a big personality to take the reins as the emcee for the day’s events and keep it moving smoothly. This year, Pride will get a little extra touch of glamour with the divine Porsche, direct from New York City, and Fire Island. Porsche is everything New Jersey Pride needs: live vocals, hilarious banter, and a razor-sharp wit!
The beloved dance duo Le Bouche is the featured entertainer this year
Pride has a packed roster of talent hitting the stage this year. Leading the pack is the beloved dance duo Le Bouche. The multi-platinum award-winning 1990s group is most known for the iconic hits “Sweet Dreams” and “Be My Lover,” which has become a nightclub staple; who doesn’t know the lyrics to that one?
The Jersey Pride roster includes hometown favorite Felipe Rose (of the legendary Village People). He has a new single, titled “Going Back to My Roots,” coming soon and will hopefully give the crowd at Jersey Pride a sneak peek of that as well as some of his classics!
Jacob St. Aubin is bringing his signature version of pop music to Jersey Pride. His single “Supercharge” was a favorite on the charts. His single “Don’t Give Up” is the perfect anthem to get us dancing at the festival, and his recent cover of Rihanna’s “Umbrella” will definitely be a crowd favorite!
Jersey Pride is for people from all walks of life, and Heather Mae is the perfect artist to help provide a soundtrack for the day’s events. Her pop-friendly music has clever vocals layered with slick instrumentals, and tracks like “Stand Up,” “Hero” and “No Soul” will be perfect inspiration for the crowd to help everyone remember what the day is about.
Garden State Equality to hold the Equality Ball on Friday, June 3
Jersey Pride will be held the same weekend as the New Jersey Equality Ball. It is the largest annual fundraiser for Garden State Equality, which is New Jersey’s statewide advocacy and education organization. Funds raised will be used to continue to support the amazing work Garden State Equality does in the areas of policy, education and health.
This year’s guest speaker at Equality Ball is Gov. Phil Murphy. He is an advocate of the LGBT community and will be the perfect speaker to inspire and set the tone for what is sure to be a magical Jersey Pride weekend.
