POLL: DiversityGras?

[Aux Arc]

"Valentines" Diversity Weekend happened to fall on the weekend before Mardi Gras this year, and was a huge success.

So........... would you like future winter Diversity weekends to coincide with Mardi Gras, instead of Valentines'Day, and call it "DiversityGras" ???

Please cast your vote!

[Dreamwalking]

From my experience this weekend, the combination really brought the crowds in which was good for business. Another plus is that Mardi Gras and Diversity share a lot of the same diverse things (i.e. elaborate costumes, kings, queens, just a sense of overall fun).

I'd love to do it again at the same time. It was great.

[Aux Arc]

Sparky? What are you thoughts?

[Cyberphillics]

Sparky? What are you thoughts?


Duh...do you really have to ask him that? Sparky is so full of energy. I'll bet I know his answer.

It was great, the weather could have been a bit warmer but could not have ask for better sunshine. I think a good time was had by all. Seems that all the businesses were caught off guard. Service was real slow all over town because everyone is running with low off season staff.

[Sparky]

my thoughts are we need to vote http://bestsmileys.com/dancing/12.gif
http://bestsmileys.com/dancing/12.gif

PLUS email Deborah@diversitypride.com and tell her how we voted!

it was way to much funhttp://bestsmileys.com/dancing/12.gif

[LynneSterling]

I like it Aux Arc. Valentines Weekend is ok, but not for the party reptilians :!: It definitly made my weekend more interesting.

[charles]

Earliest and latest Mardis Gras dates for the next 1500 years check this out then decide.

http://www.mardigrasdigest.com/html/Mardi_Gras_future_dates_earliest.htm

[Sparky]

YIKES!!!!
Next YEAR would be FREEZING COLD!

it will be the earliest Mardi Gras in 50 years.

the decade after NEXT year looks GREAT!

[froggie]

I think it is a great idea the parade was tons of fun!!!

Delana

[Aux Arc]

YIKES!!!!
Next YEAR would be FREEZING COLD!
it will be the earliest Mardi Gras in 50 years.
Sparky, as unpredictable as the weather in Arkansas can be, from the first week in February to the first week of March, it really doesn't matter when Mardi Gras occurs. It can be 25° or 65° on any given day in that period.

Remember the weather on Valentines' Day weekend last year?
It was awful.

[Sparky]

Hey, I much rather have a Winter Eureka Gras/Diversity Gras weekend.

I AM for IT 100%

I want to bring Deborah Rose & Diversity Pride in with us!

When we work together we do BETTER!

Diversity Pride has been hosting a Valentine's Dance for years and I agreed to help them....the date for the weekend was the fist weekend after 2-14....so this will be a change up for me to get them to agree.

I would want this to be a TEAM effort!

I think for YEARS to come we will now have the LOCAL Eureka GLBT community helping with the Eureka Gras Parade

tHIS ONE event WILL JUST CONTINUE TO rise to a even higher level.

IT WAS SO MUCH FUN!!!

http://bestsmileys.com/party/5.gif
I had over 30 people agree to meet us on Saturday to march...they must have been still hung over because they didn't show---THIS TIME!!!! Next time I feel they WILL show.


For this to work it would be nice if Diversity Pride would support us and agree to change from a Mimosa Brunch and Valentine's Dance to a Red Beans and Rice and a Mardi Gras Ball...MOST years the dates will hit to combine Valentine's with Mardi Gras...just not 2008.

VOTE! VOTE! VOTE!

[Aux Arc]

Of course, Deborah and DP must agree, too.

I sent an email to her, and I hope everyone associated with Diversity Pride is agreeable to a change that would definitely bring more people to the winter Diversity weekend.

Change is good!

[IndianaDunes]

The ES mardi gras producers--largely volunteers--pulled off a great localized mardi gras event that eclipsed the association with Valentine's. Seeing the parade--actually walking in it with the Eureka Pride contingent--and participating in the pub crawl a couple of days later made me think this: It's a natural tie-in. What is more diverse than a mardi gras celebration? I'm thinking local lodging/banks/shops/restaurants/bars will come to the same conclusion and get with the program next year with their own floats. They'd be fools not to. Like Diversity Weekends, this was the start of something that is only going to get better and better and will get the support of the business community, the chamber of commerce and the city itself.

And that is what the GLBT community has wanted all along, isn't it? Diversity, inclusiveness and a great party? Forget Valentine's. Let's do an end-of-winter Mardi Pride.

[Westwood]

Westwood would vote for a warmer day.

[Aux Arc]

Dan Ellis has some great pics of Saturday's EurekaGras Parade and Fat Tuesday's Pub Krawl, on his web site:
http://krazo.ureeka.org/krazo_krawl_07.htm

http://krazo.ureeka.org/1aac2aa0.jpg (http://krazo.ureeka.org/krazo_krawl_07.htm)

[Aux Arc]

Mardi Gras Pub Krawl photos from the Citizen (http://www.lovelycitizen.com/Articles/ArticleViewer.aspx?ArticleID=414f83fd-d2cc-478d-9beb-a4f0a19e5c58) (after the link loads, scroll way down the page....).

http://www.lovelycitizen.com/assets/media/sat%20pub%20on%20steps.jpg (http://www.lovelycitizen.com/Articles/ArticleViewer.aspx?ArticleID=414f83fd-d2cc-478d-9beb-a4f0a19e5c58)

[deborahdpe]

Sam,
mucho apologies for delayed response!
just found ur email in junk folder...outlook is a mystery sometimes...thank goodness i check it occasionally, cuz i always find something NOT spam in there.....gotta remember to check more frequently....

first, i LOVE the whole concept of Eureka Gras and the parade (especially the doggie parade at the end). very glad dan thought of it. think it’s a perfect winter series of events for our town. we will fully support and help promo as we did on our website, helping spread the word, etc. i too think it will grow!

i WISH it fell on the same weekend every year!
great mix of attendees....straight and gay folk having fun together! and parity! btw, what are the future dates??

i feel perplexed. we can have BOTH things. some people (locals & visitors) will come out to celebrate Valentine’s, some will prefer more of a party mode, and some will do both. and for heaven sakes, i am definitely NOT the “decider” ;-) NOBODY is. anybody can come up with an idea and go for it! that’s what dan did and it’s gonna work great.

linda and i, and others wanted SOMETHING to do on Valentine’s, cuz.... it’s Valentine’s. like a lot of couples, we will want something romantic to do. and we hear from singles they want something for them on Valentine’s too.

but it does NOT mean we all can’t participate with Eureka Gras and let the glbti community know about the fun and how welcome they would be!

deb

[Sparky]

you wants Dates Deborah I have them....
2008 will be the earliest in 50 years!

Future Fat Tuesdays:
2008 February 5
2009 February 24
2010 February 16
2011 March 8
2012 February 21
2013 February 12
2014 March 4
2015 February 17
2016 February 9
2017 February 28
2018 February 13
2019 March 5
2020 February 25
2021 February 16

Parades will always roll the Saturday before Fat Tuesday.



it would be a compermise where on some years we could have a Eureka Gras and Cajun Party and other years we could have Valentine's Romance & the Eureka Gras & Cajun Party.

Downtown was PACKED and the crowd was DIVERSITY for sure...Already Dan's Krewe is making plans to make next year bigger and I think we need to be there as well!! It was tooooooo muuch fun to miss again...and YES we have been invited to in the marching parade.



The Lookout Lodge had NO VACANCY and many of our sponsors said they had a great WEEKEND.


EDITED TO SHOW CORRECT DATES THANX AUX!!

[Aux Arc]

Sparky, I think you got some of your dates wrong:

Future Fat Tuesdays:
2008 February 5
2009 February 24
2010 February 16
2011 March 8
2012 February 21
2013 February 12
2014 March 4
2015 February 17
2016 February 9
2017 February 28
2018 February 13
2019 March 5
2020 February 25
2021 February 16

Parades will always roll the Saturday before Fat Tuesday.

[Aux Arc]

sparky,
You said 2008 is the earliest MG in 50 years. Are you saying that's good/bad, or just stating that it's early next year?

[Sparky]

I bet I did mess up dates :cry:


If next year is the EARLIEST in 50 years we sure don't wanna be LATE!

I have my GEAR ready for the Marching Parade...just need to reserve a room :lol:

[Aux Arc]

A thought for anyone with concerns that an earlier mardi gras weekend may be too cold:

In Eureka, the weather is quite unpredictable on all of the dates that Mardi Gras can occur (roughly the first week of Feb. to the first week of March). It can be 32° (or colder) and rainy/snowy, or sunny and 70° during that timeframe.

I've seen it snow here as late as April (RARE), and then be 80° the very next day!

[Sparky]

hey I will warm up all the cold bodies...PROMISE!

[LynneSterling]

hey I will warm up all the cold bodies...PROMISE!

Such altruism Sparky :D

[IndianaDunes]

Deborah,

For me, the association between Valentine's and Diversity Weekend is much less attractive than an association between Mardi Gras and Diversity Weekend.

I venture to say the audience for a Valentine/Diversity weekend would be larger than for a Valentine weekend. I and many of my friends happily participated in the Mardi Gras events while choosing not to participate in the Valentine events. And the GLBT participants were both single and couples.

There was a sizable and highly-visible Rainbow contingent in the Mardi Gras parade--another opportunity to be publicly Out There. That could serve someday as a precedent for a Pride/Diversity Parade. And I believe we were well-received by the Mardi gras organizers, other participants AND the spectators.

I also think GLBT tourists might well prefer a more festive weekend associated with Mardi gras celebrations. They can celebrate Valentine's in their home cities with family and friends, but they can't always join in Mardi gras celebrations.

I realize the Valentine/DW association is traditional. But now there is another option that is well worth considering.

Another factor to consider, the GLBT demographics in Eureka Springs are changing. A lot more singles have moved here and others are soon to follow. A traditional "couples" weekend may be less attractive to them than a more festive--and diverse--weekend that includes singles and couples.

[Aux Arc]

Dunes, good points, especially about the changing demographics of new arrivals in ESAR....

[aj71953]

Sparky,

Del and I think you need to leave the winter diversity weekend in Nov.
Otherwise you would be having winter and spring diversity weekends close together. You also taking a chance that the weather will be snowing.
Anita

[IndianaDunes]

If I'm not mistaken, FALL DW is November; WINTER is February and SPRING April.

The proposed Winter change would only mean associating the February DW with Mardi Gras instead of Valentine's. Just a matter of days or a different weekend.

Spring, Summer and Fall would remain the same.

[Gaylord]

I'm with the Dunes guy on this (and a lot of other matters as well) but on this he he is dead on. This Eureka Gras is a gay thing waiting to happen, in fact, it has already happening and is destined to grow by leaps and bounds. Official gay organizers best jump on the band wagon in the early stages or find themselves running to catch up with the parade that has passed them by.


Sorry for the dual post, deletion here is foreign to me. Edit was all I wanted.

[Gaylord]

I'm with the Dunes guy on this (and a lot of other matters as well) but on this he he is dead on. This Eureka Gras is a gay thing waiting to happen, in fact, it has already happening and is destined to grow by leaps and bounds. Official gay organizers best jump on the band wagon in the early stages or find themselves running to catch up with the parade that has passed them by. A nice private dinner or dance with the significant other is nice but a party is what will take precedence in numbers. Numbers is what we want.

[Sparky]

Sparky will be at the EUREKA GRAS in 2008 regardless of what Deb decides...I know she will back us up!
Lets start the planning!
we jumped into this late and we just grabbed the name
KREWE OF WOBNIAR
do you wanna stick with this Krewe name?
locals?
do you want to do a float or do you like the idea of MARCHING?
REMEMBER...many of us suitcase it in.
start saving your FEATHERS AND BEADS!
is it time to invite the DRAG QUEENS?
IDEAS?
I want a CAJUN FEAST anyone else?
should we start a new section on this board and do I have a volunteer for moderator?

[Aux Arc]

Sparky, I prefer walking in the parade to a float. But after all the bloody mary's I had that day, I felt like I was floating!

Doing Valentines Day and EurekaGras is too much in too short a time frame for me. So I'll see y'all at the EurekaGras parade next year!

[Aux Arc]

B

U

M

P

[Cyberphillics]

May Fine Arts Parade is also an awsome parade in Eureka. I do not get to enjoy parades like those standing on the sides watching. I see parades through a peep site on a camera and only see what me camera sees.

[Sparky]

http://bestsmileys.com/bumping/3.gif

want me to leave this up as a goooooey :roll: sticky??????
http://bestsmileys.com/bumping/1.gif
http://bestsmileys.com/bumping/1.gif
http://bestsmileys.com/bumping/1.gif

[Aux Arc]

want me to leave this up as a goooooey sticky??????No, that's ok, Sparky. I just felt like bumping it up, but it can slide back down the list.....

[Aux Arc]

May Fine Arts Parade is also an awsome parade in Eureka...
Yep, Cyber. It is one fine parade!

[Sparky]

I have been to the last 2 May Fest parades ...I love them!
I think Eureka Gras has the potential to become bigger and better then the May Fest Parade and that is quite a challenge

[Aux Arc]

...I think Eureka Gras has the potential to become bigger and better then the May Fest Parade and that is quite a challengeThat would be quite a challenge, considering how outrageous the ARTrageous parade is! But this year's first MG parade was a helluva good start! The town was packed, which caught a lot of locals by surprise!

[Sparky]

That would be quite a challenge, considering how outrageous the ARTrageous parade is! But this year's first MG parade was a helluva good start! The town was packed, which caught a lot of locals by surprise!

BY SURPRISE...IT CAUGHT THEM WITH THEIR PANTS DOWN!

Have already started collecting, shopping and preparing for 2008 Eureak Gras!

Sparky will be there and so will the Krew WOBNIAR !!