Pride on the Block set for June return with permit updates.
West Palm Beach city has recently announced on June 2 that there would be no hindrances for the scheduled Pride on the Block event in the 500 block on Clematis Street, after fixing some flaws in the initial application process. As reported by WPTV, an agreement has been reached between the City and Transpire Help, the sponsors of Pride on the Block. The Mayor of West Palm Beach, Keith A. James, held discussions with the sponsors for implementing the corrections, “After meeting with the sponsors, it became apparent that the initial application contained fatal flaws,” and it needed revisions, so the application process was indeed fixed.
Donna Weinberger of Transpire Help revealed that the application section was blank, which asked for the benefiting organization, and there were some issues pertaining to food and alcohol section that needed to be revised. Timelines and dates were also incorrect, according to the same source. As of now, the official permit approval letter from the city is still not available. The organizers of the event believe that things should go as planned since the city has given them the go-ahead signal after correcting the errors.
The Pride on the Block event is a significant festival in the LGBTQ+ community. Weinberger made a statement in the press release: “I appreciate Mayor James sitting down with me to work out the details. ‘Pride on the Block’ is a celebration of and for the community which brings together so many people, performers and vendors to celebrate Pride in our community.” It is also worth noting that Weinberger was grateful for the landmark occasion as it was one of the major fundraisers of the year that finances the organization’s programs and empowers LGBTQ+ individuals to access critical resources.
The Pride parade was initiated in 2018, and it has been held consecutively for the last three years with great success, bringing the community closer and involving numerous people, performers, and vendors alike. The Mayor’s office also revealed that the event could be a partnership or sponsored event for next year’s annual event. Mayor James stated in the news release, “It is genuinely a pleasure to work with the sponsors of Pride on the Block. The City is fully supportive, and I am pleased that we could collaborate well to make it a safe and resounding success.”
Road closures near 500 Clematis will start at 3 p.m. Friday, June 2, and last until midnight on Saturday. The Mayor, in his decision not to renew the permit, cited traffic as the reason for cancelling the Subculture Group’s final drag show, which has been consistently held in the 500 block of Clematis Street. A crowd of over 400 people was present at the final event, concluding the group’s three-year tradition on a high note.
