Out! Raleigh 2016

Many new volunteers joined in to plan the festival in 2016. Fresh faces and bright ideas were sprinkled throughout the festival that year. Folks like Alyssa Canty, who spearheaded the KidsZone and Nora Augustine who organized entertainment for the first time, brought innovation and fun to the festival. John Hull participated with Out! Raleigh for the first time that year to put some great ideas into the website and communications division of the festival. 

  Shadina and DJ Pancakes returned to the stage in 2016. New acts debuted. We were wowed and wooed by Big Mama Shakes, Laila Nuir and 120 Minutes. 

   That year Blue Cross & Blue Shield of NC joined as sponsors along with a ton of other great businesses like The Green Monkey, Flex, OrderUp and Food Lion. 

    Partial repeal of the HB2 bill brought back a lot of hope in the community. Folks realized that discrimination against the LGBTQ+ community cannot and will not be written into North Carolina law. This year’s festival also happened just before the tragic Pulse Nightclub shooting in Orlando, FL. May we send our love and respect to those 49 members of our LGBTQ+ community who are now angels.