The Minnesota Vikings will have their first booth at Twin Cities Pride in Loring Park in Minneapolis, Saturday and Sunday (June 23-24), from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.
The team opted to have a booth as opposed to marching in Sunday’s Pride parade, wanting a longer-term presence at the event all weekend, said Amy Werdine, the Vikings’ Guest Services Coordinator.
Werdine praised what she called “strong support from team leadership” to have a presence at the Pride festival, something some LGBT Vikings fans told Outsports they have been asking for for the past couple of years.
Fans who stop by the Vikings booth will get an eye-black sticker with the team’s rallying cry “Skol” in Pride colors:
Fans can also enter a drawing to win a Skol Pride T-shirt:
It is not common for pro teams to have booths at Pride events, with most opting to march in the parade connected to the event. Both would be ideal, but I see the value in the Vikings being seen by festivalgoers all weekend instead of passing by in a few minutes during a parade.
The Vikings are also hosting an LGBT inclusion event on Thursday featuring former Olympic diver Greg Louganis, former Viking player Esera Tuaolo, duathlete and triathlete Chris Mosier and LGBT SportSafe co-founder Nevin Caple.
