With the main Surrey Pride having been called off this year, there were understandable fears that Guildford’s LGBTQ+ community would be left without its usual chance to come together and celebrate. Happily, a group of local organisations has decided to step into the breach, with Golden Fords Café set to host a community Mini-Pride that promises a full day of music, entertainment and togetherness. It is a heartening response to a disappointing situation and proof that when plans fall through, communities have a habit of finding a way regardless.
Stepping in for the Community
The event has come about as a direct result of the cancellation of this year’s main Surrey Pride, which we covered recently. Rather than see the community miss out altogether, Golden Fords Café has teamed up with a number of collaborators, including Out & Aligned, the Surrey Rainbow Choir and Patches, to put on a celebration of their own.
The organisers are keen to stress that everyone is welcome and that there is a genuine community spirit running through the whole thing, with every penny raised from ticket sales going towards the cost of running the day. Better still, any surplus will be donated to local LGBTQ+ organisations, meaning the benefits should be felt long after the last song has been sung.
What to Expect
The day is split into two halves, so there really is something for everyone irrespective of age. The morning and lunchtime session, which runs from 10am until 2.30pm, is a relaxed and family-friendly affair, taking in performances from the Rainbow Choir, live acoustic music, face painting, a spot of Zumba, a raffle and the ever-reliable presence of a fish and chip van.
From 3.30pm onwards, the celebrations continue into the evening for the over-18s, with local bands from ACM, drag entertainment and plenty of feel-good Pride classics to dance along to. Food and drink will be served throughout by the café and its food vendors, so you can happily make a day of it from start to finish if you are either part of the community or else you want to show that there are still plenty of allies out there.
A Ticket-Only Event
This is very much a ticketed event, which is a necessity given the fact that Golden Fords is a small venue with a limited capacity and licensing requirements to consider, so it is well worth booking ahead to avoid disappointment. There are three options to choose from when it comes to the tickets:
- A morning and lunch ticket from 10am to 2.30pm costs £5
- An afternoon and evening ticket from 3.30pm to 9pm is £10
- A full day ticket is £15, taking in both sessions
The latter two ticket options are both strictly for those aged 18 and over.
It is worth knowing that the café is a little tricky to find and that there is no parking at the venue itself, so the organisers recommend parking in the town centre and walking, or using Chantry Wood Car Park as a starting point for the short woodland walk to the site.
Well-behaved dogs on leads are welcome, so you can expect to see a wealth of different doggies with rainbow laces, collars and more. Whilst tickets are non-refundable under normal circumstances, you will be covered should the event have to be called off for any reason.