Pride Events Cancelled
Local health conditions are not trending well.
Recognizing the dangers of exposure to the Covid-19 Delta variant, Blue Ridge Pride has announced the cancellation of all scheduled Pride events for September 2021. Cancelled are the public Pride Festival, scheduled for September 25, 2021; the Welcoming WNC procession, and the annual pageant, senior prom, and other events.
The organization made the decision after consulting numerous health experts and polling its membership. Pride asked Buncombe County Health & Human Services (BCHHS) for its latest update, which shows rates of new cases similar to what the county saw in late January. BCHHS anticipates that a high level of transmission will likely continue for several more weeks. Furthermore, local area hospitals are once again nearing capacity limits.
The organization hopes to be able to reestablish the annual festival under conditions of safety next year.
