The Mountain Xpress has the story:
Thousands of members of the gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgendered communities both locally and nationally will converge in Asheville on Saturday, Oct. 11, to take part in Asheville Pridefest, says organizer Kali Brewer. But while the free event—themed “Live! Love! Be!”—is part party and celebration, the third-annual Pridefest also has a higher purpose in mind.
On a practical level, “It’s an opportunity to bring the GLBT community together and meet each other and network,” says Brewer, who anticipates at least 3,000 attendees. Those coming aren’t just from Asheville, but New York City, Florida, Tennessee, Pennsylvania, Illinois and points in between. There’s also an international group, Support for Lesbians Coming Out, that plans to coincide their annual meeting with Pridefest this year, she adds, “because it was a good, positive way to experience coming out in a community in a public way that was safe.”
The event goes from noon to 6 p.m. at Scandals on Grove Street.