Naples Pride announces new festival date after rain delay

The Naples Pride festival is officially rescheduled after being postponed due to last weekend’s tropical rain. It will now kick off on July 9.

After having to postpone, Naples Pride is ready to party.

This festival is incredibly important. It brings the community together for a weekend of fun, but it also keeps the doors open at the Naples Pride Community Center.

“It’s amazing, and everybody we have the straight families, the gay families everybody’s there, and they’re all having fun participating, and nobody’s judging nobody,” said Rifkah Doutsch.

Doutsch is talking about Orlando Pride, but the atmosphere in Cambier Park come July 9 will likely be the same.

“We would have hoped to still have it in June, you know, during pride month, but unfortunately, that was impossible, so we took the first available date,” said Cori Craciun, the Naples Pride president.

Thousands are expected to attend the event, which means thousands of dollars could be raised.

That money funds what goes on inside the Naples Pride Community Center.

“It’s just a place for the community to get together and feel comfortable with who they are and just be accepted and loved,” said Craciun.

The community center hosts support groups, but it was fun and games on Wednesday night.

“The community needs this place, and we need to keep it up and keep the doors open. It’s very important,” said Craciun.

The LGBTQ+ community says it needs a community space like this, especially on the heels of new laws that will prohibit teachers from discussing LGBTQ+ issues with students.

“Not to have that option to be able to be able to tell your teacher which, maybe your only support that you may have in your life because maybe your family isn’t supportive and not to have that support there for you and then not to even have this it would be just devastating,” said Craciun.

“Parents need to open their minds and see how the change is coming, and they have to be supportive,” said Jalice Doutsch.

The Doutsch couple says, don’t judge a book by its cover. “The inside of the people, that’s what counts,” said Jalice.