Golden Valley, MN (June 4, 2018) – The 3rd Annual Golden Valley Pride Festival will be held from noon to 6 p.m. on Sunday, June 10 at Brookview Park (200 Brookview Pkwy N, Golden Valley, MN 55426). An interfaith church service will be held at 10:30 a.m. at Spirit of Hope Church. This family friendly festival will include an expanded music stage, beer and wine garden featuring three varieties of craft beer from Utepils Brewing and a special edition wine from Cedar Lake Wine Company, activities for kids including a bouncy house and glitter tattoos with an exclusive Golden Valley Pride Festival design, Market in the Valley farmer’s market preview, an increased number of food trucks and more than 70 community groups and exhibitors.
“We are proud to be the first suburban Pride festival in the state and we continue to be overwhelmed by the community support we have received since the festival began in 2016,” said Mike Goleski, Golden Valley Pride Festival team chair. “Last year’s event attracted more than 5,000 people and we’re excited to, once again, bring together families, businesses and civic leaders to celebrate our unique community.”
More gay couples, married or unmarried, reside in Golden Valley than any other city in Minnesota. This according to census data from the Williams Institute at the University of California, Los Angeles. In the 2010 census, 22 out of every 1,000 Golden Valley households, or 2.2 percent, self-identified as gay. This number could even be 15 percent higher because some households chose not to identify themselves.
Although the event has strong support from the city staff and council, the Golden Valley Pride Festival is privately funded and organized. A volunteer planning committee of 20 Golden Valley residents has been planning the event since November and more than 50 volunteers are expected to help on the day of the event. Multiple community businesses and individuals have also contributed