Patrons of Pride

Why Become a Patron of Pride?

You Support Our Community

Blue Ridge Pride is 100% volunteer-driven. We apply all net funds from our festival to our community programs and to funding local partners. This year, we are launching several important programs.

• The Blue Ridge Pride Community Partnership Fund: Grants from this recently established fund will be available to local groups that demonstrably support western North Carolina’s LGBTQ and allied communities. Each quarter, we will set grant targets based on available funds.
• The WNC LGBTQ Oral History Project: This is a collaboration of the Blue Ridge Pride Center and UNC Asheville, with generous seed funding from the YMCA of Western NC. We aim to document a richer, fuller, and more inclusive history of our region by recording the stories and memories of people in our community.
• The WNC LGBTQA Virtual Community Center: This summer, we are launching what we believe to be the first all-virtual LGBTQ center in the country. We hope that it becomes a model for other rural communities. The goal of the center is to make it easer for people to find welcoming services, events, groups and resources.
• Community Events Program: We are expanding beyond the festival to create more targeted events throughout the year. This year, we have added the Movies and Mixer Series, an LGBTQA Story Slam.  We are continuing the Mx Blue Ridge Pride Pageant, Festival Youth Night, and our annual benefit for Aura Home.

You Are Recognized for It.

• You reach an important audience. There are an estimated 34,000 LGBTQ adults in western North The Asheville area alone has 83% more LGBTQ-identified people than the average American city or town (U.S. Census). These individuals are part of the nearly $1 trillion-dollar LGBTQ market in the U.S.
• You reach a diverse audience. Since 2009, the Blue Ridge Pride Festival has continued to grow and attract attendees from across the Southeast, typically 10,000 to 15,000 attendees. We have worked hard to ensure that our festival is family-friendly, welcoming to all, with an emphasis on local entertainment and sponsorship.
• You reach a loyal audience. LGBTQ populations are loyal to businesses that support them. 55% of LGBT consumers will choose to do business with companies that are committed to the diversity/equal treatment of the LGBT community. 70% of LGBT adults said they would pay a premium for a product from a company that supports the LGBT community. 78% of LGBT adults and their friends, family and relatives would switch to brands that are known to be LGBT- friendly.