Features

Pridefest of the Palm Beaches

March 20, 2013

Compass GLCC presents the annual Pridefest of the Palm Beaches on Saturday and Sunday March 23 and 24, which this year features headliner Gioia Bruno from Expose.

In 1986 Carmen Gioia Bruno auditioned for a group in Florida and relocated there. When performing at the Gee Wiz nightclub in Miami, Florida, she was approached by Frank Diaz, of Pantera Group Enterprises, who offered her a role in Exposé. After over nine months of recruitment attempts, Bruno finally accepted the offer and ended up joining the group. Bruno sang lead on the Exposé singles Let Me Be The One, What You Don’t Know, and Tell Me Why. She toured with the group between 1986 and 1990. When Exposé reformed in 2006, she returned to the group for the first time in fifteen years.

Besides Bruno, who will wrap up the weekend of entertainment, there are a whole host of other activities planned for Pridefest; here is the full list of entertainment is as follows:

Saturday March 23^rd – U4ia, Jessi Campo, Tony Cruz, Teri Catlin Band, No Angel & The Static Attraction

Sunday March 24 – Pride Parade Grand Marshal- Melissa St John, South Florida Pride Marching Band, Voices of Pride Gay Men’s Chorus, Palm Beach Makos Cheerleaders,

DJ Joshua Atom, Michaela Paige from NBC’s The Voice, Raejean Cox and the Massengil Sisters

Velvet Lenore and K-Otic Force, Headliner Gioia Bruno of Exposé and the Teri Catlin Band.

The event’s theme this year celebrates United Colors of Pride and attracts thousands of people from South Florida and the Treasure Coast. More than 140 local businesses will showcase everything including a wide array of foods, local specialty stores, jewelry, art, and many non-profit organizations. Along with Presenting sponsor Wells Fargo, other sponsors this year are McGladrey, Royal Palm Mazda, Sun-Sentinel, Hotspots & Genre Latino Magazine, South Florida Gay News, Don Todorich, Mark’s List, ID Lube, Commcare Pharmacy, Roosters, Wild 95.5, Live Nation and many more.

Sunday’s Grand Parade will begin at 11:30am at South L Street and Lucerne Avenue and continue down Lake Avenue to Bryant Park.

Advanced tickets may be purchased at Compass, H.G. Roosters, The MadHatter Lounge, Studio 205, and The Bar Lake Worth. Guests are encouraged to buy tickets in advance to avoid the lines at the gate. For more information, call 561-533-9699 or visit CompassGLCC.com

Compass Gay & Lesbian Community Center is the largest lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender community center in the Southeast United States. Now celebrating its 25th anniversary of community centered services, Compass aims to diminish stereotypes by challenging long-standing misconceptions about the character of the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender community. We accomplish this by emboldening our youth, promoting pride in our community, and acting as an educator, advocate, health service provider, and focal point for community organizing.