• Home
  • Campus
    • Academics
    • Greek Life
    • SGA
    • Student Life
  • State/Local
    • Around Town
    • Board of Regents
    • National
    • Pierre
    • Vermillion City Council
    • Vermillion Police Department
  • Sports
    • Cross Country
    • Football
    • Golf
    • Men’s Basketball
    • Soccer
    • Swimming/Diving
    • Track and Field
    • Volleyball
    • Women’s Basketball
  • Verve
    • Feature
    • Diversity
    • Events
    • CAB
    • The Vault
  • Opinion
  • E-Edition
  • COVID-19
The Volante
The Volante
  • Home
  • Campus
    • Academics
    • Greek Life
    • SGA
    • Student Life
  • State/Local
    • Around Town
    • Board of Regents
    • National
    • Pierre
    • Vermillion City Council
    • Vermillion Police Department
  • Sports
    • Cross Country
    • Football
    • Golf
    • Men’s Basketball
    • Soccer
    • Swimming/Diving
    • Track and Field
    • Volleyball
    • Women’s Basketball
  • Verve
    • Feature
    • Diversity
    • Events
    • CAB
    • The Vault
  • Opinion
  • E-Edition
  • COVID-19
  • Follow
    • Facebook
    • Twitter
    • Instagram
Sioux Falls Pride postpones 20th Pride FestivalDiversity
Sioux Falls Pride normally hosts a pride festival every June, but this year it is postponed due to COVID-19. Heidi Schneider | The Volante
Home
Verve
Diversity

Sioux Falls Pride postpones 20th Pride Festival

April 12th, 2020 Chloe Fullenkamp Diversity, Feature, Verve comments

Share this story

Facebook Twitter Google+ LinkedIn Pinterest

Few cities in South Dakota have big celebrations for their LGBTQ+ communities, but this year, most are canceling their Pride due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Sioux Falls Pride, the largest pride organization in South Dakota, postponed their annual Pride due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The announcement comes along with numerous other businesses, events and social gatherings being postponed.

Sioux Falls Pride is celebrating its 20th year as an organization. The Pride Festival, previously scheduled for June, is a pinnacle event for the LGBTQ+ community not only in the Sioux Falls, but all of South Dakota. 

Rachel Polan, marketing director for Sioux Falls Pride, said the organization made the decision to postpone Pride on April 6 and have since been trying to get the word out.

“We have been advertising it on all of our social media channels and through press releases sent to all of our local news outlets,” Polan said in an email interview with The Volante.

Polan said postponing such a huge event was a decision that had to be made.

“It was a difficult decision, but the health of our community comes first,” Polan said. 

Since Sioux Falls Pride Festival is the largest pride in South Dakota, many members of the surrounding communities will be affected, Polan said.

“For the LGBTQ2S+ community, postponing Pride is going to have a major impact,” Polan said. “For many, Pride is the one time a year they get to be fully themselves around people that accept them.”  

During Pride, many small businesses see an influx of customers due to the high volume of festival-goers.

“Our decision will have the biggest impact for the people that travel to our June celebrations from smaller towns,” Polan said. 

Polan also said people can support local ally businesses during this time.  

Currently, Sioux Falls Pride is looking to reschedule once the pandemic is over. Polan said they are looking into options for social distance celebrations that would allow for people to celebrate Pride remotely, but no concrete plans have been made.

“We would like to encourage everyone to support their local LGBTQ+ small businesses,” Polan said. “Buying gift cards and sharing social media content from these businesses are great ways to show support.”

As for Vermillion, Pride has not been postponed yet. In an email from one of their administrators, Chris Larson said Vermillion Pride organizers met last Saturday night to discuss how they will approach their Pride.

“With everything changing day to day, we aren’t expecting to reach a decision until about a month from now,” Larson said.

Vermillion Pride is set to be held in June, but they are still unsure due to the pandemic.

They are currently accepting Art Submissions for their 2020 Vermillion Pride Art Show. Information about Vermillion Pride and the art show can be found on their Facebook page. 

  • Tags
  • acceptance
  • celebration
  • community
  • diversity
  • festival
  • LGBTQ+
  • local
  • pride
  • Sioux Falls Pride

Share this story

Facebook Twitter Google+ LinkedIn Pinterest

Chloe Fullenkamp

Related Posts

She Kills Monsters brings empowerment and fantasy to the stage Events
April 13th, 2021

She Kills Monsters brings empowerment and fantasy to the stage

Rachel Review: "Thunder Force" does not bring the thunder Review
April 12th, 2021

Rachel Review: "Thunder Force" does not bring the thunder

Guest euphonium masterclass with military musician Events
April 12th, 2021

Guest euphonium masterclass with military musician

Facebook Comments

Latest Stories

Apr 13th 9:32 PM
Campus

SGA denies Tiospaye budget exemptions, cuts Spectrum budget

Apr 13th 4:08 PM
Sports

Coyote swim, dive teams look to finish the season strong

Apr 13th 2:08 PM
Campus

Brief: USD vaccination event switches to Moderna after Johnson & Johnson FDA approval paused

Apr 13th 1:52 PM
Verve

She Kills Monsters brings empowerment and fantasy to the stage

Apr 13th 11:58 AM
Sports

USD tennis to play home this weekend against Western Illinois, UND

Apr 13th 11:57 AM
State/Local

Local downtown businesses bounce back from pandemic

Apr 13th 11:19 AM
Sports

South Dakota soccer heads to the Summit League Tournament, facing No. 1 Denver

Apr 13th 11:18 AM
State/Local

Polar Plunge beats goal before they start

Apr 13th 10:51 AM
Opinion

How can we make Vermillion a more eco-friendly place to live on Earth Day?

Apr 12th 11:32 PM
Campus

AWOL plans conservation and rural resilience trips for summer

Weather

Coyote News

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2K7ERfZmFOg

Advertisement

Read about: Best Detox Shampoos for Hair Drug Test and Synthetic Urine and Fake Pee manual
  • Home
  • Campus
  • State/Local
  • Sports
  • Verve
  • Opinion
  • E-Edition
  • COVID-19
  • Back to top

The Volante

The Volante is the University of South Dakota’s independent student-run newspaper since 1887. Al Neuharth Media Center The Volante 555 N. Dakota Street Vermillion, SD 57069

Advertisement

About

  • About
  • Code of Ethics
  • History
  • Awards
  • Executive Staff
  • Jobs
  • Comment Policy
  • Advertise

Engage

  • Letters to the Editor
  • Contact Us
  • Submit an Overheard
  • Subscribe
  • Submit News Tips

Media Partners

  • Coyote News
  • KAOR 91.1
  • Media & Journalism Department
© The Volante 2015. All rights reserved.