As we started the journey to bringing PRIDE back to Conway in 2025, we realized three things:

Downtown Conway is gorgeous and wonderful and has a built in performance space at the Kris Allen state, but parking is a nightmare and it feels tight and compact and requires a lot of hoop-jumping to keep safe for attendees.
Laurel Park is a perfect location, but really lacks in having a nice performance space for our talent lineup.
Renting a stage is REALLY expensive, and almost no local places would work with us as a non-profit on reduced rates.

So, we want to OWN the stage that we use every year for PRIDEFEST in November. This posed another problem, however: COST. We want every dollar that we gather through our events to go immediately to the Robert Loyd and John Schenck Scholarship and keep Conway #queerandeducated. Stages are expensive, y'all. Like...REALLY expensive.

That's where YOU come in.

If 28 businesses, individuals, friend groups, etc. commit to a $250 donation, we can cover the cost of OWNING our performance stage. That means no matter WHERE we host PRIDEFEST (though we'd love to keep hosting at Laurel Park!), we will always have a nice, safe performance space for our talent lineup. The stage we are seeking to get is also MODULAR, meaning (A) we can always make it bigger by purchasing more pieces in the future, and (B) we can utilize it in smaller versions at various events throughout the year. Our goal is to also be able to rent the stage out to queer organizations in Central Arkansas FOR FREE (depending on availability), because we know how hard this is for US so we can only imagine it's equally as difficult for our neighbors.

Although we will accept ANY donation amount, if you commit to $250 you will receive the following:

Your business' logo (or your name, or a special message...whatever you want!) on a banner that will be displayed PERMANENTLY anywhere the stage is present. That means so long as Conway Pride Community and PRIDEFEST exists, you will be on display! That's advertising at PRIDEFEST, QUEERFEST, and any other event throughout the year where we will utilize even ONE piece of the modular stage that you helped make happen.
Two free PRIDEFEST 2026 tshirts
Your logo/name listed permanently on our website.
If you are a business, one free 10x10 vendor booth spot at PRIDEFEST 2026 and QUEERFEST 2027.
If you are not a business, two free tickets to QUEERFEST 2027.

Let's make it happen, community!

Conway PRIDEFEST Stage

Community-owned performance space? LET'S GOOO!

Team Members