Celebrate Pride all week in Sandusky

SANDUSKY — Pride is returning downtown this year with events planned all week leading up to the Sandusky Pride Festival on Friday and Saturday. Friday will feature musical acts, like Casket Company, Ancient Elephant, Half Knocked Out, ShaVazz the Weirdo and more. Events will run 4-10 p.m. All of Saturday will celebrate Pride, featuring performances by DJ Sammijo and other entertainers, and Amber Stone will host. The evening will end with the annual dancing block party. Local food vendors, educational information, non-profits and retailers will also be set up during the weekend. Vendors and the stage will be on Shoreline Drive behind Shade-Mylander Plaza. To kick off Pride week, starting at 6 p.m., Dockside Cafe will host a Manic Monday 80s party. At 7 p.m. on Wednesday, The Cove at Louie's Bar will host a patio party. The Crowbar will have Pride karaoke at 9 p.m. on Thursday with DJ Manny, as they have for many years. The week will complete with a drag brunch at OH Taco and Moseley's Rooftop Bar on Water Street. Couple Robin and Nikki Lloyd are the event's organizers. Robin said the festival will be bigger than last year's Pride, and they've started planning for next year, which will be Sandusky's fifth annual Pride celebration. She said due to COVID-19 restrictions lifting so late, there was not enough time to plan for a parade. "We're gearing up for next year. We're going to blow that out of the park," Robin said. "It's going to bring it back to its full life. It's amazing to be coming out of COVID and to be able to put on this event. It was supposed to be one day, but the demand was there. It's going to be way bigger than the little thing we threw last year."