The Dallas Tavern Guild, with members including nearly two dozen of the hottest and most entertaining nightclubs in the state of Texas, hosts the annual Alan Ross Texas Freedom Parade, Festival in Lee Park, and Voice of Pride events to celebrate and present the positive image of the Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, and Transgender community of Texas. The Alan Ross Texas Freedom Parade annually features over 100 public officials, businesses, non-profit groups, churches, and social organizations made up of members and supporters of the GLBT community marching, dancing, and enjoying their way down Cedar Springs Road to Turtle Creek Boulevard to a cheering crowd of well over 40,000 people each year. The Festival in Lee Park is held simultaneously at the end of the parade route, drawing upwards of 10,000 people each year for live entertainment, vendors, and food and beverage sales. Aequitas Group team members have coordinated these events in 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, and 2017.
Shop. Dine. Play. Stay. Cedar Springs Road is home to a diverse array of retail, nightlife, restaurants, accommodations, and services located between the Dallas North Tollway and Turtle Creek in Dallas. This vibrant and popular neighborhood is home to many community events and celebrations, and we are their sole source provider to handle police and security logistics during special events. Click on the tabs to the right to learn more about the Cedar Springs Merchant Association's special events.
The Cedar Springs Merchant Association hosted an annual one-day festival featuring local artists, live musical performances, vendors, and food and alcoholic beverage sales drawing over 1,000 people per event. Aequitas Group team members coordinated this event in 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, and 2014.
The Cedar Springs Merchant Association hosts the annual Easter in Lee Park and Pooch Parade every Easter Sunday in the Robert E. Lee Park adjacent to Turtle Creek in uptown Dallas. The annual event, drawing nearly 4,000 people each year, features a parade for well dressed doggies and their owners, complete with judging and a variety of awards, as well as live entertainment, vendors, and food and beverage sales. Aequitas Group team members have coordinated this event in 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2016, and 2017.
2011 not only brought the NFL Super Bowl to Cowboy's Stadium in Arlington, but it also saw the first-ever LGBT-focused block party related to the game hand held on the eve of Super Bowl XLV. The Super Street Party included beer booths manned by volunteers from local gay sports organizations and live entertainment.
AIDS Arms, Inc., is a non-profit organization committed to combating HIV/AIDS in the community by improving the lives and health of individuals living with the disease and preventing its spread. LifeWalk is an annual fundraiser for AIDS Arms and is the largest AIDS Walk & Festival in North Texas, starting with a 5k fun run/walk followed by a festival in Lee Park with vendors, health providers, food trucks, music, children's activities, and free/confidential HIV testing. Annual attendance is over 3,000 people and Aequitas Group team members have coordinated LifeWalk in 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, and 2017.
For over 40 years, the Dance Council of North Texas has been promoting and supporting dance in North Texas and beyond. The Council hosts the annual Dance Planet event -- America's oldest and largest free dance festival -- with the past several years hosted at the Booker T. Washington High School for the Performing and Visual Arts in the heart of the Arts District in Downtown Dallas. Dance and fitness classes include Circus Aerial Silks, Hip-Hop Smash, Salsa, Flamenco, Folklorico, Afro- Caribbean, Belly Dance Rockin' Technique, Musical Theater, and more while the performance showcase offers a wide range of styles from African, Ballet, Cha-Cha, and more. Aequitas Group team members have been on site coordinating police and security for this event in 2010, 2011, 2012, and 2013.
This annual outdoor Halloween party, hosted by Caven Entertainment, Inc., boasts a costume catwalk with a live announcer, live music, and beer booths at every turn in the heart of the Cedar Springs district in Dallas. The Dallas Morning News says 'the epic costumes at this street party make it a cut above. Expect the unexpected and revel in the people-watching'. Annual attendance is over 20,000 people and Aequitas Group team members have coordinated the party in 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, and 2017.
Razzle Dazzle Dallas and MetroBall are the signature events for the Dallas June celebration of National LGBT Pride month. The annual street festival will feature local business and community organization vendor booths, carnival games, food and beverage booths, dancing, live bands and a wide array of entertainment ending the night with a headliner act. The festival is underwritten by local business partners and sponsors -- all proceeds benefit local HIV/AIDS service and community organizations. The annual event draws over 4,000 people and Aequitas Group team members have been there to coordinate in 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, and 2015.
The Sue Ellen's lounge, one of the nightclubs operated by Caven Enterprises, Inc., hosts an annual music festival with food and alcohol sales featuring live entertainment from local musicians and a different headliner performance each year. Recent headliners have included Ciao Bella (2011), Chely Wright (2012), Uh Huh Her with Leisha Hailey (2013), and Antigone Rising (2014). Aequitas Group team members have been on site in 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, and 2016.
Below Corp. brought Mardi Gras to Downtown Dallas in 2009 with a massive parade featuring floats, dancing, and marching lead through the heart of downtown by the Grambling State University Fighting Tiger Marching Band. The street festival featured street vendors, crawfish, beignets, live music, tarot card readers, palm readers, and more spread out among the Pegasus Plaza, Main Street, and the West End. The estimated attendance was over 50,000 people -- and Aequitas Group team members commanded over 130 off-duty police officers to ensure that everyone had a safe and fun evening.