After the Friday night parade and rally, the Pride Celebration weekend of 1979 continued with a Gay Pride Dinner and Dance on Saturday night.  Sponsored by the Metropolitan Community Church and held at All Soul’s Unitarian Church, nearly 150 people enjoyed a homemade meal and listened to rousing speeches by Kansas City Councilman Jerry Riffel and Reverend Troy Perry.

Sunday, the festivities culminated with Hoedown!, a picnic and dance party hosted by Taurus Productions and Club Midwest.  The day-long event was held on a farm in Gardner, Kansas, and participants feasted on corn-on-the-cob, salad, and an entire side of beef that was roasted for most of the day.  In addition, twelve kegs of beer and a dozen ripe watermelon were also consumed!

“Gerry”, one of the Hoedown! chefs

Hoedown participants

The ravenous revelers were also treated to live country music by Elk River Biscuits and Gravy Band and recorded disco music DJ-ed by Steve Jones, better known to the community as Wanda Lust, the VD Queen who traveled to bars and community events testing for venereal diseases on behalf of the Kansas City Public Health Department.

Hoedown! dancers