LAS VEGAS, Nevada (March 27, 2003) - The 2003 Las Vegas Gay Pride Festival will celebrate its 20th year with five days of indoor and outdoor events at a variety of venues throughout the city. Combined, the festivities will form the largest Pride celebration in Las Vegas history.

The event includes parties, a parade and the day-long pride festival finale, to be held for the first time at the sprawling Las Vegas Sports Park at Warm Springs and Las Vegas Boulevard. Planners expect more than 15,000 locals and visitors to attend the festival itself, which for the first time will feature a continuous shuttle from the Las Vegas Sports Park to gay business districts at Naples and Paradise and Commercial Center.

“Las Vegas is recognized as an entertainment capital,” noted Pride chairman Sasha Scarlett. “For our 20th anniversary we wanted to create a series of events that reflects the variety, sophistication and excitement of the city we call home.”

Scarlett said the schedule of events will offer fun for everyone in the community, regardless of gender, age or sexual orientation. “This year’s festivities offer top-notch events and first-class entertainment that the whole community can enjoy,” he said. The schedule of events includes:

Tuesday, May 6 -- Ladies’ Night at SRO. 9 p.m.

The evening features nationally recognized lesbian comics, awesome lesbian bands, real Las Vegas Showgirl dance teams and world-class female DJ's and an All Lesbian Foam and Lube Party inside the famed SRO disco.

Wednesday, May 7 -- Men’s Night at Ibiza USA Nightclub. 10 p.m.

A party for the Guys! We’ve taken the hottest, newest dance club on the Strip, Ibiza USA Nightclub @ Desert Passage in the Aladdin Hotel and made it exclusively for the sexist men in Vegas. Top it off with Pepper Mashay singing the theme from “Queer as Folk” (Let’s Get Soaking Wet!”) and two of the most popular porn stars around -- Mark Dalton and Caesar -- and this is one party no one will soon forget.

Thursday, May 8 -- Anniversary Pride Pageant at New York-New York. 6 p.m.

In Honor of the 20th Anniversary of Las Vegas Pride and the 25th Anniversary of the Out Las Vegas /Bugle publication, the Las Vegas Pride Pageant will be Hosted by Miss Gay America and held at New York-New York Hotel's Grand Ballroom.

Friday, May 9 -- Pride Parade. 8 p.m. downtown Las Vegas

One of only three nighttime parades in America - the parade attracts thousands annually. Headliner entertainment and celebrity Grand Marshals are part of the festivities, with details to be announced later.

Saturday, May 10 -- The Gay Pride Festival "Inside The Oasis.” Noon to 2 a.m.

Held for the first time at the Las Vegas Sports Park, the festival will include more than 120 vendors, live entertainment, spectacular restaurants, Rock Climbing Walls, Mini-Grand Prix Racing, Batting Cages, an Indoor Disco, and an Outdoor Country Western Dance Tent. Expect more fun celebrating Pride than ever before.

Presented by the Las Vegas Association of Pride, Inc. (LVAPI), Gay Pride aims to educate the community by invoking, promoting and celebrating Lesbian/Gay/Bisexual/ Transgender Pride.

For more information contact LVGP at: http://www.lasvegaspride.org/