Capital pride
CANBERRA鈥橲 SpringOUT festival has been providing the LGBTI community of the city 鈥� and the Australian Capital Territory as a whole 鈥� with a pride festival since 1999.
The festival鈥檚 chair and creative director Mat Knobel says it is also an opportunity to unite the LGBTI community and the broader community.
摆蝉丑辞飞补诲蝉听补诲=惭搁贰颁闭鈥淭丑别 is a festival that provides the LGBTIQ community with a time in the year where they can听outwardly show their pride and celebrate diversity,鈥� he says.
鈥淭he festival also serves as a vehicle for the non-LBBTIQ residents of the ACT and surrounds to engage with our community.
鈥淚t is an amazing event that puts on some of the largest 鈥� and we hope most fun 鈥� events in the听territory.鈥�
SpringOUT begins on the last day of October with Fair Day, where Westside Acton Park will come alive with markets, music, drag queens, live entertainment, and children鈥檚 activities. Afterwards, there are a range of events and activities on offer for the rest of November.
鈥淚t is an aim for the organisers of this festival听to ensure it has a relevant and important place on the ACT鈥檚 cultural calendar… it continues to grow and that can only be a听great thing,鈥� Knobel says.
This year, Royal Australian Air Force Group Captain Catherine McGregor 鈥� the world鈥檚 highest-ranking trans* military official 鈥� is SpringOUT鈥檚 inaugural patron.
鈥淎s the festival aims to celebrate diversity, equality, and acceptance, we could not think of a better person,鈥� Knobel says.
He says a highlight of SpringOUT is Bushdance, an opportunity for everyone to dust off their hat, polish their boots and grab their rhinestones.
鈥淚t鈥檚 a fun night of dancing听to a live band who will lead you through dances such as Strip the Willow, the Waves of Bondi and more,鈥� Knobel听says.
鈥淭aking place once again at the Yarralumla Woolshed, this event is run by听the Canberra Gay and Lesbian Tennis Association听and is one of the blue听ribbon听events on our calendar, attracting visitors from across the local area and interstate.
鈥淎cross the month, there will be events that will make you want to dance, bake, sing, run, cheer, think and create… the festival is a cultural celebration of our community听and aims to showcase all that makes our community the amazing one that it is.鈥�
According to Knobel, at the end of the day it鈥檚 the sense of community that SpringOUT thrives on.
鈥淭here are many different groups that make our local community the听beautiful and diverse听community听that it is,鈥� he says.
鈥淥ne of the aims in co-ordinating our program for this year鈥檚听festival was to ensure we represented all facets of our community.
鈥淚n doing this, I think we send a strong and positive message that the Canberra SpringOUT Pride Festival is an inclusive event for all.鈥�
Canberra SpringOUT Pride Festival is on October 31 to November 28. For full details, visit
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More Pride!
SpringOUT isn鈥檛 the only pride festival that will cap off 2015 in style. There are a number of other pride events happening around the country in the lead-up to the new year:
鈥�听 PrideFest (November 6 鈥� November 22): To help celebrate the silver anniversary of Pride Western Australia, this Perth festival will combine community, performance and arts events, culminating in the annual Pride Parade. Details:
鈥� Out in the Open (November 6 鈥� November 8): As Shepparton in Victoria鈥檚 newest festival celebrating community diversity, it will include a fun carnival day and aims to help build a more inclusive community. Details:
鈥� TasPride (November 6 鈥� 15): This year the rainbow flag will be flown for the first time from Hobart鈥檚 Town Hall in celebration of TasPride. The theme this year is fittingly, 鈥淪omewhere Over The Rainbow鈥�. Details:
鈥� Tropical Fruits (December 29 鈥� January 1): This four-day festival in Lismore, NSW will help you ring in the New Year with a 鈥渟uperfreaks鈥� theme that will see you fighting for truth, justice, and equality on the dance floor of love. Details:
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**This article was first published in the November听edition of the Star Observer, which is . To obtain a physical copy, to find out where you can grab one in Melbourne, Sydney, Brisbane, Adelaide, Canberra and select regional/coastal areas.
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