No Rain on our Parade

It didn’t exactly rain on our parade on Sunday – but it came close!

Shortly after Pride March ended the heavens opened above Catani Gardens putting a dampener on proceedings.

Addressing the rain-swept crowd, Pride March Victoria president Brett Hayhoe acknowledged that this year’s had been the most successful Pride March ever in terms of marchers: 117 groups made their way down Fitzroy Street, including representatives from eight city councils and six secondary schools.

Punters took shelter crowding under marquees as the rain fell, making this definitely one of the more intimate Pride Marches on record.

Speaking to MCV this morning, Hayhoe said he had mixed emotions about this year’s event.

“I can’t express how happy I am about the Pride March itself,” Hayhoe said. “The whole atmosphere was electric; the people on the street – the whole of Fitzroy Street was filled with people cheering on the groups.

“Then of course Mother Nature came along about an hour later and slapped me in the face.”

Hayhoe said the financial fall-out from yesterday’s bad weather was not yet known.

“On an administrative level, the celebrations in Catani Garden are what pays for everything. I don’t know how bad or good that is yet, until the – pardon the pun – the wash up. Until that happens I really don’t know.”

Hayhoe said staging Pride March and the celebrations afterwards cost “$65,000-odd” and there were other expenses too.

“Bar sales are the big one on the day to pay for that infrastructure – people don’t put in stages for nothing. The fence is five figures; the row of toilets is five figures, you know: it’s the infrastructure.

“Of course, the cost would be much, much more if we didn’t have a whole bunch of people volunteering, the volunteer work force is incredible.”

Hayhoe also acknowledged the ongoing sponsorship from the City of Port Phillip.

IMAGE: This exotic bird took advantage of the calm before the storm to sun herself in Catani Gardens yesterday. Photo: Benjamin Ashe