June is Pride Month in the U.S., and a new annual event celebrating the LGBTQ+ community will take place in North Charleston the first six days of the month at multiple Park Circle venues, including Stems & Skins, Jackrabbit Filly, DIG in the Park, South of Broadway and Commonhouse Aleworks, among others.
Park Circle Pride “will have a diverse schedule of events including drag brunches, trivia, dancing, workshops, an art walk, a poetry stage, restaurant specials, lectures, a youth fest, a cabaret show, bingo, a silent disco and more.”
The week starts with the raising of the Pride flag at Commonhouse Aleworks with North Charleston Mayor Keith Summey. Stick around for one of two panels while sipping on Commonhouse’s new Acceptance IPA, or head down East Montague Avenue to DIG in the Park for Park Circle Pride’s kick-off party.
According to Simon Cantlon, who is producing the week-long event with the Park Circle Business Collective, Commonhouse Aleworks co-owner Pierce Fleming came to him with the idea at the start of 2020, but they were forced to put it on hold due to COVID-19. But moving forward, Park Circle Pride will take place annually in June, Cantlon said.
“We wanted to do something that celebrates the LGBTQ+ community but wanted to also showcase how wonderful of a neighborhood Park Circle is. It’s just kind of taken off — it’s amazing,” he said. “I wanted to create a diverse schedule that also has youth related activities, workshops and panels.”
Park Circle Pride will include a combination of serious discussions — including a “We Ain’t Going Nowhere!” panel presented by Charleston Black Pride — specials and entertainment like South of Broadway’s cabaret show or Stems & Skins’ vinyl drag show, which takes place Thursday, June 3.
“It’s usually our vinyl night, where guests can bring in their own records for us to play. In this case, the drag queens will bring in their records for us to play during this time, and they will set the vibe,” Stems & Skins co-owner Matt Tunstall told the City Paper. “We are really looking forward to it!”
In total, there are more than 30 events scheduled for Park Circle Pride, which will benefit We Are Family and Alliance for Full Acceptance.
For more information, visit parkcirclepride.com.
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