Citing security concerns at Festival Park, Fayetteville PRIDE has decided to move its annual festival to the Crown Complex.
“Because of security concerns and recent actions in the community, the Crown is a better fit for right now because there’s no way to sneak in and there’s no fear of weapons being able to get in,” Fayetteville PRIDE president Krystal Maddox told CityView.
The festival is set to take place on June 21. As Fayetteville PRIDE has spent the last few months planning for this year’s festival, Maddox said members of the group and others interested in attending have raised concerns about safety ahead of the celebration, which was held at Festival Park in the past.
“We got many letters over the last couple of months of people saying that they were scared to return to the park and they were scared to even come out in public at known meetings without these measurements taking place,” Maddox said.
Fayetteville PRIDE first announced the change in venue on Feb. 26. Maddox said the move indoors would also provide air-conditioning, ensuring attendees are comfortable throughout the 10-hour festivities. The Crown Complex is sponsoring the Pride festival, Maddox said, including by providing the venue.
“This is not just a move, it’s a partnership with them,” Maddox said. “They are definitely our largest supporters and sponsors this year.”
Maddox said the Crown Complex will also supply comprehensive security as part of its sponsorship.
“And it would be full security the same way they would have any big time celebrity or special event, with bag checking, the metal detectors, the whole nine yards,” Maddox said
Concerns over LGBTQ discrimination
Maddox said the national and state political climate has also made members of the LGBTQ+ community in Fayetteville fearful about expressing themselves in public spaces. She believes recent actions, such as the Trump administration’s transgender military ban and the resurgence of the “bathroom bill” in North Carolina, have emboldened extremists to openly express bigotry.
“There is a newfound fear because of the current administration and the ease and freedom people now feel of stating their opinions and their hate,” Maddox said. “As our community says, the Klan now doesn’t have to wear their sheets or their masks. And that is scary. At least they used to hide who they were and what they were doing. Now they’re out in broad daylight doing it with no shame.”
In addition, Maddox expressed concerns about local anti-LGBTQ sentiment. She voiced apprehension about the establishment of a Moms for Liberty chapter in Cumberland County. Moms for Liberty is a far-right political organization that advocates for “parental rights,” particularly in eliminating LGBTQ+ and racially inclusive school curriculum. The Southern Poverty Law Center, a civil rights watchdog, lists the group as an “anti-government extremist” organization.
At the 2022 Pride festival, Maddox said a member of the Proud Boys was spotted in the crowd and discovered to have a weapon on him. The member snuck into the park from behind the stage, Maddox said.
“The Fayetteville Police Department came up and spoke to him and they confiscated a weapon,” Maddox said. “And because of these quick reactions, nothing ever happened.”
Since the Dogwood Festival incident on April 26, city officials have taken steps to improve security at the downtown festival grounds. At a special public safety meeting called by the mayor on May 5, the Fayetteville City Council voted to enact a policy that allows only clear bags at large events held on city-owned property. Additionally, masks that are not surgical or medical masks will be banned from such events. The council also voted to look into additional security measures for Festival Park, such as enhanced security cameras, hiring private security and placing a secure perimeter around the park.
This year’s festival
Maddox said about 7,000 people attended the Fayetteville Pride festival in its largest turnout in 2019, and she expects this year’s attendance to also draw a large crowd thanks to the new venue and large number of vendors. This year’s festival also boasts new offerings, Maddox said, including a poetry reading and kids’ area for youth activities.
“I do believe I can say easily that we have the most vendors we’ve ever had because with them being inside and safe, they’re coming back,” Maddox said. “In fact, we had to have a waiting list which shows how much the change made a difference.”
The festival will also feature a variety of entertainment, including drag performance from
Morgan Richards, who Maddox describes as a “Fayetteville legend.” The headliner is Jean-Belle Bleu, a performer associated with a “new wave of talent going through North Carolina,” colloquially referred to as the “bearded queens,” Maddox said.
The festival is free to attend and open to the public. People of all ages are welcome.
The festival will take place on June 21 from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. at the expo center in the Crown Complex, located at 1960 Coliseum Drive in Fayetteville.
Editor’s note: This story has been corrected to reflect that the decision to move the annual Pride festival from Festival Park was unrelated to the gun violence scare and evacuation at the park during the Dogwood Festival in April.
Government accountability reporter Evey Weisblat can be reached at eweisblat@cityviewnc.com or 216-527-3608.
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