by tony reverditto –
Now 20 years young, the Ventura County Pride Festival continues the tradition of its weekend-long event celebrating the LGBTQ community, supporters, and allies in Ventura County and beyond. The difference? This year’s festivities will take place in Downtown Ventura’s Plaza Park in order to become more visible to the larger community and to create more inclusion with local businesses.
The Diversity Collective is hosting Ventura Pride Weekend, with all proceeds going to sustain the Community Resource Center’s vital programs to educate, advocate, and celebrate the LGBTQ community and those most marginalized. Their mission is to “Promote diversity, education, mental, and physical health to the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, and the Latinx population as well as the general public.”
Joseph Summers, president at Diversity Collective shared why Ventura Pride is so near and dear to his heart. “I started out as a volunteer for Ventura County Pride in 2000 selling beer tickets for the organization putting it on at the time. I have been involved ever since in some capacity and now my organization puts it on as our largest fundraiser of the year to support our community resource center.
Ventura County Pride’s emcee is local talent Cooper. For those who don’t know him, Summers offered a little about who he is. “After becoming an emeritus member of Salt Lake City’s Viva La Diva Show and Those Bitches in Utah, Cooper has laid roots in Ventura,” he offered. “He’s now writing new music, hosting his own drag bingo show, and dazzling the masses as part of Glamour Puss Productions and Peaches N Cream Productions. With all that he does he still finds time to give to the community, raising funds for the AIDS Walk Ventura and working as part of the committee planning the 20th Ventura Pride. The Debutante reigns supreme!”
Summers went on to talk about some of the other features new and returning, that will be at the festival. “The Lemonade Lounge sponsored by the Diversity Collective Rainbow Umbrella Program, has a long tradition at Ventura County Pride of providing an alcohol-free chill out space for youth with resources, activities, refreshments, and a lounge,” he shared.
“The Senior Lavender Lounge is a 55+ only covered space sponsored by Lavender Living Room, a local lesbian-run network and newsletter running for 28 years. We are really focusing on our Kid Zone also this year. The park features a full playground, a covered space for arts, crafts and activities, including drag queen story time, PFLAG parent connection hour, a face painter and a henna artist, as well as Kona Ice truck.”
The VIPRIDE area is sponsored by Anacapa Brewing Company, Ventura Spirits, Waterloo Cellars, Rolling Spirits, 8th Devil Distributing and Flying Embers. Admission includes access to the festival, its expanded areas and the park’s covered gazebo with free tastings of beer, wine, hard Kombucha and other spirits from participating sponsors. VIPs have the chance to enjoy a personal meet and greet with headliners, indulge in a full dessert bar from Li Mor Cakes, get a swag bag and many other surprises.
Getting to know Ada Vox
A San Antonio based drag queen, Ada Vox sang her heart out on ABC’s American Idol, and became a semifinalist, something that would have been unheard of several years ago and next to impossible in his first 12 attempts as Adam Sanders.
As Ada, she has released her first single “Because of You” and is excited to share it with all of the Idol fans and to brand new audiences as she continues to tour the globe.
Ada shared why it is important for her to be part of Ventura Pride, “All Prides are important to me, especially in this day and age. We are still fighting to achieve equality and to be seen and Prides offer us an opportunity to do so on a platform that focuses on positivity, inclusion, and acceptance. Being a part of that positive movement always speaks to my soul and is always an absolute blessing to be a part of.”
She shared what attendees can expect to see during Pride. “My performances are always with an emphasis on who I am and what I stand for. I am a singer who stands for love! My sets are uplifting and familiar, and I’m hoping to bring smiles to everyone’s face as I share my passion with all of you!”
Ventura County Pride takes place Friday, August 16 through Sunday, August 18 with events scheduled throughout the weekend. For tickets and more information, go to diversitycollectivevc.org/pride.html.