NEW ORLEANS — New Orleans Pridefest unveiled its new logo Saturday evening (Feb. 24) at the Phoenix Bar in the Marigny, capping a night of celebration, revelry, and drag.
The event featured crowd-pleasing performances by drag queens Monique Michaels-Alexander, Tibby Honest, Alexa H. Milano, Renee Saunce, and Eureeka Starfish, who also served as emcee. Mr. Louisiana Leather 2024 Jimmy Gale auctioned off items and volunteers from the Crescent City Rougaroux Rugby team sold raffle tickets. The main event was the unveiling of the new official New Orleans Pridefest logo designed by New Orleans design firm DJB Design. The logo features a festive alligator named Gautreaux, adorned in the colors of the LGBTQ+ pride flags.
“We wanted a logo that will become synonymous with New Orleans Pridefest. We hope everyone will see themselves in Gautreaux — fierce, fabulous, and a friend to all,” New Orleans Pridefest President Tracy Deroche said.
The packed bar cheered at the logo’s reveal, and requests for merchandise already have begun. The event raised more than $1,500 in donations to the Phoenix Phoundation, the nonprofit which produces New Orleans Pridefest.
The annual festival is held on the Saturday of Pride weekend, typically the second weekend of June. Vendors, entertainment and food and beverage booths fill the 2200 block of North Rampart Street and the Marigny Roberts parking lot. The 2023 festival featured 10 different acts on the main stage. The decades-old festival previously was held at locations such as Armstrong Park in Treme, Washington Square in the Marigny, and Duncan Plaza across from New Orleans City Hall, operating in its current location since 2015. The Phoenix Bar, which Deroche owns, has been the primary sponsor since then.
“This event just grows and grows and we are delighted that our community continues to come back year after year. This year will be no exception. We’re planning our biggest and best Pridefest yet,” Deroche said.
Pride celebrations in New Orleans date back to the early 1970s when the city’s LGBTQ+ community organized various events and activities to commemorate the strides of the movement and advocate for LGBTQ+ equality.
For more information, visit New Orleans Pridefest online at nolapridefest.com or on social media, @nolapridefest.
