Manchester Pride 2019 - Parade

Join us to celebrate and promote OutdoorLads at one of the UK's biggest and best pride events, Manchester Pride!

**IMPORTANT**

A message to all was sent out on 20th, if you are joining after this, please read a copy of this message here:  https://tinyurl.com/odlparade19

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**Please join the Facebook group for this too:** https://www.facebook.com/groups/659069007890106/

Participating in the parade is always such good fun and rewarding also.

We will be meeting at the Castlefield Roman Gardens which is just off Liverpool Road (the little park left at the White Lion Pub on Liverpool Road), Manchester. We will be assembling with the rest of this year’s pride parade participants. You can find us gathered at one of the marshalling points wearing Red T-shirts, of which you need to wear yourself! Please aim to arrive by 10am.

We would like to revive our entry this year, and so we would like to show off the many things that we do, so, please do some of the following, if you can!

• Climbers - Wear climbing harness. Bonus points if you can hang nuts/hexes/cams from them for jingly-goodness
• Bikers / Mountain bikers - ride along-side on your bike. Bonus points if you have a bell / horn.
• Walkers/Hikers - Walking poles, rucksacks (with camel-back too? Accepting no responsibility if this is filled with anything other than water...). Massive OS maps - Bonus points for cracking out the acting skills, acting lost and asking the crowd for help with directions)
• Skiiers / Snowboarders - Carry skiis / Snowboard. Bonus points for goggles

There are also one or two interesting things being added in too - this will be updated, but right now:

• Kayaking - We will have a kayak on wheels (yes!) so, we will need someone to enthusiastically paddle the roads, and some people to pull along said kayak. Ideal for someone who can't walk too much - feel free to volunteer here!
• Wheely tent - A tent, on wheels. Yep, you read right! So need 2 people to pull this along also.

As well as this, there are flags to be energetically waved and wafted, as well as stickers to be given out too.

Also new for 2019, We will have music!

...But most importantly, wear your Red ODL T-Shirt!

In order to take part in the parade, you must obtain a wrist band from the event leader, James (james_sk), who will have checked everyone in with the pride officials. You will not and able to join the parade without the parade wristband. Please try to arrive on time as last year late-comers struggled to obtain a wristband.

Of course, the end of the parade isn’t it – we may to head over to (most likely) China Town for a post-parade meal together. Would be good to know who is going to join us for this.

We will also be milling around in the village afterwards. Both socialising together, and also as an ODL presence to engage with non-members. We may send groups of three or four members out and about throughout the rest of the day to engage members of the public and most importantly, sticker people up, and hopefully sign up new members, whilst enjoying drinks together (in the sunshine! - hopefully).

Where we will congregate this year is TBC.

If you’re are joining us in the village afterwards, you will need the separate Big Weekend pride event wristband - the parade wristband does not allow you into the pride event. It’s probably best getting your pride Big Weekend event wristband before joining us at the Castlefield Roman Gardens off Liverpool Road.

After the parade, we will need a group to help carry the parade items back to the van near Roman Gardens.

We will also be having a social event on the Sunday night - come along and catch up with old friends and make a few new ones along the way :)