South Florida Sun-Sentinel (Sunday)
Hialeah gets ready to celebrate gay pride with weekend festival
Miami Beach has a gay pride festival. So do Miami, Fort Lauderdale and Wilton Manors.
Now Miami-Dade’s second largest city is showing off its bright rainbow colors.
Hialeah is hosting its first LGBTQ festival from 1 to 7 p.m. Sunday at Hialeah Park Racing and Casino,
100 E. 32nd St.
The event will feature musicians and drag queen performances. WTVJ-Ch
6 morning anchor Roxanne Vargas will serve as the godmother (madrina) of the festival, and Miami radio personality Enrique Santos of iHeart’s “Tu”
94.9, WZTU-FM will serve as the godfather (padrino). Rappers Veronica Vega and Bobby Lytes of VH1’s “Love & Hip Hop” reality show are also part of the lineup.
Karen Larrea, one of the organizers, says Hialeah ranks among the most conservative cities in the country and she wants to open up views in her hometown.
“No one expects a Pride Festival to be happening in Hialeah, being it’s known for being conservative and set in their ways,” Larrea said of the mostly Hispanic city. “It’s important to break barriers, educate and try to make headway for equality for everyone regardless of your demographics or sexual orientation.”
She worked with another Hialeah native, who
goes by DJ Citizen Jane, to organize the event.
“I want the LGBTQ+ Community to have a safe place to come out and celebrate their Pride,” Jane said. “I never had this growing up in Hialeah, which is why I moved from Hialeah when I first came out. I wanted to come back to my community and create a space for them to be able to feel free. And in turn start educating and opening the minds of the people within this city that
happens to be the fourthmost conservative city in the U.S.”
General admission to the event is free but there are also air-conditioned
VIP areas that overlook the grounds of the park. VIP passes, which include drink tickets, start at $65.
For more information, visit hialeahpride.com