TriPride : Aug. 27, 2022

TriPride Announces Updates, Security Guidelines and Entertainment Lineup for Upcoming Parade and Festival

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The third-annual TriPride Parade and Festival will be held on Saturday, August 27, 2022 in downtown Bristol TN/VA. The parade will proceed down historic State Street and the festival, held immediately after the parade ends, will be held in Cumberland Square Park.

TRI-CITIES, Tennessee – TriPride organizers believe the third time’s a charm. After two years of setbacks due to the impacts of COVID-19, organizers are moving forward with bringing Pride to Bristol.

This will be the first city-wide public Pride parade and festival in Bristol. The parade begins at 11:00 a.m. and the festival begins immediately after, around 12:00 p.m.

The TriPride Festival, presented by Eastman, is a FREE, good for all ages event that will feature live performances, vendors and exhibitors, health services, food trucks, Kids Zone, and more. Previous years in Johnson City (2018) and Kingsport (2019) had an estimated 10,000 attendees throughout the day.

 

Important Update

One important change this year is how attendees will be admitted into the festival grounds. Organizers are requiring free tickets to enter the festival grounds.

“By making the festival a free, ticketed event, it allows TriPride organizers to better control protestors from disrupting the festival experience,” said Jason Willis, TriPride Board of Directors President. “We are committed to a safe, fun environment for all persons who come out to enjoy the day and celebrate the LGBTQ+ community.”

Free tickets are available online at https://www.tripridetn.org/pride2022 and will be available at the security gates on the day of the event.

The TriPride Parade, presented by CITI, is open to the public and will not require ticketing. Parade participants will begin lining up at 9:00 a.m. The parade will begin at 11 a.m. and last for approximately one hour.

 

Festival Entertainment

Organizers are thrilled to announce the 2022 entertainment lineup for the TriPride Festival. The festival will be held in Cumberland Square Park. Organizers prioritized local artists within the Tri-Cities as well as regional and national entertainers.

“Our goal was to select performers from the LGBTQ+ and allied community that represent a range of genres for everyone’s entertainment, with a special focus on country and Americana as Bristol is the birthplace of country music,” said Entertainment Chair Terry Marek.

This year’s entertainment will feature Demon Waffle, Beth Snapp, TJ Darnell, Tyler Hughes and Knoxville Gay Men’s Chorus. Additional performances are still being negotiated at the time of this announcement.

In addition to musical performances, organizers will celebrate and showcase local drag queens and kings with performances throughout the day.

 

Security

Modeled after concert venue guidelines, attendees can expect similar security precautions, including going through a metal detector at the entrance gates. Previous years’ events followed similar guidelines. The current security guidance and prohibitions can be found at https://www.tripridetn.org/pride2022/#security and are included below.

  • Weapons of any type are prohibited, including firearms, knives, electrical weapons, chemical weapons or other items that could be considered weapons.
  • Glass bottles or opened bottles containing liquids are prohibited.
  • Outside food and drink are prohibited. Medical, childcare, and small personal snacks are acceptable. Bottled water will be free for all attendees.
  • Large backpacks or totes are prohibited. Clear backpacks are acceptable and are subject to search by TriPride. Small purses and/or small personal bags are acceptable and are subject to search by TriPride. Medical bags, child care bags, and strollers are acceptable and are subject to search by TriPride. Folding chairs in bags are acceptable and are subject to search by TriPride.
  • Poles, sticks, clubs, baseball or softball bats, golf clubs, signage on poles, etc. that could be used as a weapon are prohibited.
  • Masks, including gas masks or any other face covering that is not for health or religious purposes are prohibited. Medical face masks / shields for Covid-19 precautions are accepted.
  • Torches, lanterns, fireworks or any other device that uses fire or fuel are prohibited. Cigarette lighters are acceptable.
  • Aerosols, spray cans, or pressurized containers are prohibited.
  • Toy or replica weapons are prohibited.
  • Laser pointers, flashlights or other devices that can be used to direct light into eyes or faces are prohibited.
  • Animals, except working service animals, are prohibited.
  • Missiles, projectiles, or other items that could cause injury if thrown are prohibited.
  • Horns, noisemakers, or any amplified sound equipment devices are prohibited.
  • Signs larger than 3 by 3 feet are prohibited.
  • Bicycles, skateboards or scooters are prohibited.
  • Other items not listed may be determined to be a potential safety hazard. TriPride organizers reserve the right to request the attendee place the item back in their car or forfeit it before entry.

TriPride organizers ask for attendees’ patience and understanding that the well-being and safety of all attendees is the top priority.

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TriPride welcomes the support of the Appalachian Highlands community where countless hours of volunteer time and significant community and sponsor financial support make the annual Parade and Festival possible.  TriPrideTN, Inc. (d.b.a. TriPride) is a 501(c)(3) charity formed in 2017 whose purpose is to organize and present a free community Pride parade and festival that builds bridges and unites the community.