COVINGTON, Ky. – It’s a veritable party all weekend long in The Cov as the city is home base for Northern Kentucky’s celebration of inclusivity and diversity called Pride Week.
Tonight’s drag show and beer tapping party will set the tone for festivities that climax with Sunday’s 12th Annual Pride Festival (in a City of Covington park) and parade (through Covington streets). As you no doubt have noticed, as a City we’ve been embracing all things rainbow this week, ‘cause here in The Cov we believe inclusivity and diversity are part of a core identity to be celebrated – and hey, we do love a party.
We hope you’ll take part in the Pride events. And there’s a lot of other stuff to do too, that involves music, art, and cocktails.
Choose what you like, of course, but we think you’d regret not getting yourself one of those T-shirts with that fancy unicorn emblazoned across the front to wear while you’re participating in the festivities. Just sayin.’
Looking for a great start to your weekend? Well, here’s the bombdiggity: Braxton Brewing Company hosts the Pride Drag Show & Watermelon Wheat Tapping Party tonight.
Braxton is partnering with the folks at the NKY Pride Center to not only welcome the return of one of its favorite summer brews – PRIDE Watermelon Wheat – but also feature a drag show on the rooftop.
Molly Mormen will emcee events that include a Watermelon Wheat Slushies and a Koozie giveaway.
And while you’re having a magnificent time, you’ll also be supporting NKY Pride, as $1 of every pint and 4-pack of beer you purchase will be donated to the cause.
You ever do one of those round-robin poetry sessions? They’re fascinating (and maybe a little crazy).
It goes like this: You write a line – whatever comes to mind – at the top of a piece of paper, fold the top of the paper over those words so the person you’re going to pass that paper to can’t see them, then that person writes something and passes it along to the person next to them. It goes on and on until the paper makes its way back to you.
Somewhat inexplicably, what is then read out loud is generally an actual poem. (Or at least a string of words that pass for poetry).
If you’ve gathered a bunch of English majors at the table you’ll likely move on to deconstructing that poem, especially if libations are involved (and since it’s poetry, that’s most likely the case).
Which brings us to this: The creative folks at Local Studio 325 thought, “why not do something similar with canvases and paint?”
On Saturday, their Paint & Sip event invites you to paint a bit, pass your canvas to another person to add their contribution, before passing it along to another … and so on … with multiple canvases circulating and everyone painting a bit on each other’s canvases. By the end of the evening, the collective creations will surely elicit awe and marvel.
If the room includes art majors, perhaps you’ll get the whole deconstruction thing going too, but most likely you’ll just enjoy the Camp Craft cocktails (the Beekeeper, Lavender Lemonade, and Sangria) as you lift your stemware to celebrate this clever and creative event.
Registrations are required.
Speaking of Latonia and art, Friday night is the Makers Market at Pandemonium Bar & Grille.
It’s a gathering of artists who will showcase their talent for shoppers looking for something unique and “homegrown.” (We’ve said it before and it’s become our mantra: If you’re going to display art in your home, why not pick something local with a story behind it?)
And of course there will be drinks from Pandemonium and food from Kealoha’s Kitchen.
Kick up your heels – just like the unicorn on the front of the 2022 NKY Pride T-shirt – and prance down to the Pre-Pride Pop Up Shop on Saturday afternoon at the NKY Pride Center at 230 W. Pike St.
Once you’re there, purchase a T-shirt (they’ve got a couple to choose from) that you’ll want to wear to the festival and parade Sunday, and every other day of your life thereafter. They’re that colorful and cool.
Pride Week is one big, long, fabulous celebration with lots of events, but the real deal – the really big deal – happens Sunday.
The 12th Annual NKY Pride Festival – Y’all Means All! starts at noon at Goebel Park and there will be all range of magnificence going on.
But don’t get so caught up with the good time you’ll be having that you miss the Walk with NKY Pride in the NKY Pride Parade as it makes its way through The Cov. It starts at 1 p.m. at the foot of Madison Avenue.
The parade has 45 entries this year (a record!), and there will be awards for the folks who know how to make a parade worth watching (Best Overall Entry, Best Performance, Best Float, and Best Social Commentary).
Lest you think the fun stops after the parade, there’s an official family friendly Afterparty at Hotel Covington.
Tonight: Kyle English at Keystone Bar & Grill … Alex Poteet at Smoke Justis … Planet Drool with Tokyo Daniels and others at Madison Live … R.A.P. Ferreira with Blax and Jay Hill on The Rooftop at The Madison … Open Mic Night with Mara Moon at Pandemonium … Missy Werner Band at Molly Malone’s Irish Pub & Restaurant.
Friday: The Music of Cream at Madison Theater … Inhailer Radio 5 Year Anniversary Party with Monnbeau, Bershy, Freedom Nicole Moore, Adalia Boehne Of, and Knotts at Madison Live … Old Pictures/New Pictures (Final Show) with Onetta & National Barks at Pandemonium … Leroy Ellington at Smoke Justis.
Saturday: Covington Metal Fest with Earth Laid Bare, Obsidian Mind, Death of a Poet, Grave Friends, Hollow Valley, Rose Crest, Daywalker, and The Human Tragedy at Madison Live … Pete Dressman at The Globe … Marc & Doug at Smoke Justis.
Sunday: Rooftop Sessions at Braxton Brewing Company.
And then there’s … Ru Paul Drag Race All Stars Season 7 at Creative House of Art & Design on Friday. … Covington Farmer Market on Saturday. … Live Art with Andrea Eisert at Purple Paisley, Local Artisan Shop on Saturday. … A Thought is a River and The Reds exhibitions at The Carnegie from Thursday through Saturday.
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