Logan Pride welcomes all to upcoming annual Logan Pride Festival
The Logan Pride organization will host its annual Logan Pride Festival this Saturday in Willow Park from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
This year’s festival theme is “You are Welcome!” It invites all who are in need of support, belonging and connection.
“It’s extremely important here in Utah that people have a safe space and that they can be included,” said Mel Payne, marketing director and board member of Logan Pride. “That they know that they are loved and accepted, and they have a place to go where they can commune with other people that are like them, are like minded and is also a safe space.”
The annual event has taken place since 2017 and continues to grow every year.
This year, the festival will include over 80 vendors, food trucks and live entertainment. Payne has been working with board members and volunteers that meet weekly to discuss planning and work with the city to ensure the event goes smoothly.
The Cache Bar will host a pre-party on Friday, Sept. 9 at 6 p.m. There will also be an after party the day of the festival, beginning at 4:30 p.m. at Barrel and Stave in Logan. The after party will include live music with performances from Megan Simper with Daniels and Baker and the band Salduro.
Allison Fox, the entertainment coordinator for the festival, explained that they got in contact with bands that had played at the festival in years prior. They also advertised on social media that the organization was looking for bands to play during the event.
Thirteen different bands will perform throughout the day. The morning acts include Open Door Policy, Neptune Mikesell, Once The Lion, Kaya Music and Mykah. The afternoon acts, beginning at 12:20 pm, include Kristina Evonne, Anya Bacon, Brad Brown, Christian Scheller, Lost Pages, Cactus Tree, Somebody/Anybody and Salduro.
Local band Open Door Policy has performed at almost every Logan Pride Festival and will continue that tradition this year.
Their 25 minute set will open the festival at 10 a.m. All the songs planned in their set — specifically their single “Let Me Live” — were written with LGBTQ+ and queer issues in mind.
“It’s the desire to live and let live. The desire to be yourself and not be oppressed,” said lead singer Casey Rock.
The band was created in 2015. The current members are Kat Blubaugh, Nette Jensen, David Kinsey and Casey Rock. One of the band’s initial drummers told Rock he had a very open door policy in regards to people and life, and the name stuck. The band stands for social issues, mental health, self-improvement and personal and social well-being.
“In Logan especially, it’s a place for people who may not feel safe in other parts of Logan society and Utah society,” Rock said. “It’s good for them to have a safe place to be — a place where they can feel welcome and loved and cared for.”
Open Door Policy has been releasing EPs every few months. Once they have completed three or four, it will be consolidated into a single album.
They recently released a single, titled “Do or Die,” to provide funding for reproductive rights issues. Every purchase of the song went toward the Utah Abortion Fund.
For more information on Open Door Policy, go to https://opendoorpolicy.us/ or the band’s Instagram @opendoorpolicyus.
For more information on the Logan Pride Festival, go to https://www.loganpride.org/.