Pride is set to dazzle and excite in Greater Shepparton with Goulburn Valley Pride counting down the days to this years’ OUTintheOPEN Festival this November. Celebrating LGBTIQA+ pride and community diversity in all its forms, the festival includes an array of events for all ages and interests from the 10th – 19th November across the Goulburn Valley.
The festival boasts a program filled with events from drag to dinner, author talks to networking, movies to drag bingo and so much more! Early bird tickets are on sale, so be sure to snap them up now for the opening night gala event, Masquerade at the Museum, and closing day event, Sunday Serve with Gabriella Labucci (Drag Race Down Under Season 3 runner up) and Daisy Chains. OUTintheOPEN is proud to include events for the whole family, with tickets and free events available across the spectrum of events on offer for the 2023 festival line-up.
The main event, Carnival Day on Saturday 18th November, features a full day of live music, market stalls, activities for kids, food trucks and more. With entertainment headliner Bec Sandridge gracing the stage alongside the fabulous Frock Hudson, Tuck Shop Ladies, local talent Tom Nethersole and many more musicians. The Queens Gardens is the place to be, bring the picnic rug, the family and join in on the pride and community spirit. Travelling from out-of-town? Organise your accommodation NOW so you don’t miss out!
This year’s art competition is currently open, with entries closing on October 31st. OUTintheOPEN Artistic Director. Ruby (she/they) said, “we invite people of all ages to draw, photograph, paint or digitally create their favourite or most memorable LGBTIQA+ moment. ’These are the days of our lives’ is our festival theme for 2023 and we want you to create a piece that means something to you. This could be the day you got married, the day you started Hormone Replacement Therapy (HRT) or the day the laws changed for marriage equality in Australia – or anything you like!“ The art competition is free to enter, with three different age categories, incredible prizes to be won and entries displayed on Carnival Day.
With just over two months to go we invite you all to join us in regional Victoria and celebrate pride and community diversity, however you like to be ‘out, in the open.’ Visit http://outintheopen.org.au/events-2023/ to check out all the events for #oito2023 or contact Georgina Poort (she/her) on 0401 168 229 for more information.
