Jan Lancaster, owner of THE BISTRO, is celebrating The Bistro’s 25th Anniversary with the city’s first Pride Festival on Saturday afternoon. She wants this to become an annual celebration of the city’s diversity and inclusion of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer or questioning and intersex populations.
AND THIS EVENT INCLUDES A GREAT DRAG SHOW!!!!
From Jan :
It’s our 25th anniversary, and we’re celebrating in style!
We will be closing off our block on Main St and moving the party outside!
Saturday July 28, street party starts at 3 all ages
Line up:
FOOD: Oogies Food Truck, Mr Softee
3:30-6 The amazing musical stylings of Mongolian Death Worm
6-7 The famous Marcos Mendez, Alex Jordine and Ethan Potter and Jake Orris
7-9 Drag Show hosted by Sharon ShareAlike and Dj Thom Rakestraw
Closing out the outside portion is the one and only DJ Squessa who will take us down a music memory lane.
Then the party moves inside for one more show!
From The Pantagraph’s Maria Nagle:
“It’s not going to be like the big cities, but we hope to plant seeds for the pride festival,” said Lancaster.
“After this one we’ll regroup, get a committee together and start immediately on the next year. We hope at some point to do a parade between Bloomington and Normal.”
Lancaster was honored at Monday’s City Council meeting with a city proclamation recognizing The Bistro’s 25 years and the “importance to embrace diversity, including the LGBTQIA community, their friends and allies.
Happy Anniversary to Jan, and to all who make THE BISTRO such a welcoming place!–Susan Saunders
