website: http://www.milwaukeepaganpride.com
See website for current/accurate information.
Part of the Pagan Pride Project.
Milwaukee Pagan Pride Day, 2005
Sunday, September 18, 2005
11:30am to 6:30pm
Hart Park, Wauwatosa, WI
See website for details.
Milwaukee Pagan Pride day 2002
September 22nd, 2002
11:00 am - 11:00 pm
Hart Park, Wauwatosa, WI
Admission is Free. Please bring a non-perishable food donation for the Hunger Task Force of Milwaukee, WI.
Event Report Written by Jasmine Schmidt on September 23, 2002:
Name: Jasmine Schmidt Local Coordinator
City: Milwaukee, WI
Location: Hart Park, Muellner Building, Tosa Rm
7300 W. Chestnut St, Wauwatosa, WI
Date: Sept 22, 2002
Time: 11AM til 10:00pmNumber of Attendees: Conservatively, 375 possible closer to 400.
Poundage of Food Collected: I'm sorry I don't know this yet. I'll send it as soon as I get the food weighed. This week for sure.Notable Events: At our Main Ritual at 5:00 we had a circle of over 200 people. I was aghast! It was amazing. We performed a Wiccaning and a Handfasting that both went beautifully (not a dry eye in the place!) The handfasted couple plans to have their wedding at our event next year! So cool!
In preparation for the Wiccanning, the mother put a bowl of beads on our Welcome Table. We asked everyone who came in to take a bead and carry it with them all day. They were asked to put positive energy and good wishes for the child into the beads. During the ceremony we collected the beads (and some people gave their own, too), which will be strung together and hung in the child's room. They will be presented to him at this Coming of Age ceremony. It still gives me shivers to think about it.
Press Coverage: We finally had some press! In addition to the radio interview I gave before the event (I never herd anything back from her, I'm sorry to say), we had a reporter, and photographer from the Milwaukee Journal Sentinal (our main paper), and a photographer from the World Wide Pagan Network http://members.tripod.com/pagan_relief/help.htm . The lady with WWPN stayed all day!
I'm looking as we speak for my article in the online version of the newspaper. I'm not sure it will be there. If it is, I'll send you a link, if not, I'll send you a copy of the paper.
Protestors: None. I can't get over. Our second year without a single protesor, or disturbance of any kind!!
Suggestions For Next Year: Yea, we'll be back. I got lots of offers for more help, and people actually said to me that it wouldn't be the same if I wan't the LC. How can I say no to that?!
Some things I forgot to mention....
A local CUUPS group performed their traditional Mabon dance for us before our main ritual, also great...many people came up to me and said that this was their first pagan event and they were loving it! We had an InterPath Panel with about 6 panelists which was the biggest hit of the night. Many people commented on it in a positive way (I haven't heard anything bad anyway...) We had many many families attend our event this year. We had a kids area with crafts for all ages which was very well received. There were a lot of kids of all ages around all day.Jasmine Schmidt
Local Coordinator - Milwaukee Pagan Pride
www.paganpride.org - National Info
www.MilwaukeePaganPride.org - Local Info
www.cafeshops.com/MilwPride - Get your gear, here!!
written on August 22, 2002; modified on April 26, 2005.