Six Flags Over Georgia will be a lot gayer than it normally is this weekend with an unofficial event held to draw local and regional LGBT visitors.
Pride Day at Six Flags is scheduled for Aug. 13 at the Atlanta theme park, according to Angel Garron, CFO of Unity Entertainment and organizer of the event. This isn’t an exclusive day at Six Flags, meaning that the park will be open to everyone on that particular date, but Garron hopes for several thousand LGBT patrons to come out in support.
This is the second annual Pride at Six Flags day. Last year’s event was staged over Labor Day Weekend and the attendance was low, due to the holiday weekend and conflict with Black Gay Pride. Organizers also only had about three months to do the planning, but for the 2011 model they’ve had a full year. Hence, the date has been changed and Garron has been pleased with the reaction to this year’s gathering, as well as online visitors to the site and tickets already sold.
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“We have grown tremendously since last year,” says Garron.
The website www.gaytravel.com has already listed “Pride Day at Six Flags” as one of the top 10 LGBT themed end-of-summer events, she says.
For Garron, it’s important to make the event as diverse as possible.
“We have talked to so many people in the community about what we are doing,” she says.
Tickets for the event are $40 in advance and include all-access admission to Six Flags, parking, and an all-you-can eat picnic at 6 p.m. A second package for $50 also includes admission to Six Flags White Water. Additional options are available for those who already hold season tickets to the parks.
Though Garron expects LGBT visitors to go off on their own during the day choosing rides and attractions, she hopes they will all come together for the picnic at the Peachtree Pavilion.
The park will be open for its normal hours of 10 a.m. until 10 p.m. on Aug. 13. Kickoff parties will be held the week of Pride at Six Flags and several after parties will be part of the fun.
After parties will be held at Le Buzz, Club Rain, Jungle and XS Ultra Lounge. The Jungle party, dubbed “Gathering of the Tribes,” will feature DJ Power Infiniti while the party at XS will feature more of a hip hop/ R& B feel, says JuJuRock of Rockstars Production, which is promoting events surrounding “Pride Day at Six Flags.”
There will also be entertainment at the park itself, including DJ Vicki Powell, Le Buzz’s Divas Cabaret and Derek Jae of “The Real Housewives of Atlanta.”
Six Flags has been wonderful to work with, Garron says.
“They have been very supportive and have welcomed us back,” Garron says. “It’s a great relationship. We had some growing pains but they like the line-up. What they don’t like is all the craziness and fluff. They like what we bring to the table.”
Although it’s not an official Six Flags sanctioned event, the park does know of Pride Day and is hopeful of a good crowd.
“We’ve had different LGBT events here – how they do tends to go along with who the promoter is,” says Brad Malone, communications manager at Six Flags. “We are happy to accommodate anyone.”