Carrboro Pride and La Fiesta del Orgullo de Carrboro

Out on the Edge is a weekly radio show that celebrates the rich diversity of the 55+ LGBTQ+ community, families, and allies in Orange County and airs on Mondays at 3pm on WCOM-LP 103.5 FM. On June 15, Judy McCord interviewed Catherine Lazorko, Communication and Engagement Director, Town of Carrboro and Orlando Martinez, LGBTQ+ community worker, El Centro Hispano. You can find that recording here. This article summarizes their discussion.

Judy McCord (JM): Welcome to Out on the Edge! Today, we’re talking about the upcoming Town of Carrboro Pride Dance on June 26. Tell us about it.

Catherine Lazorko (CL): The event is called the Carrboro Pride Dance Party / Fiesta del Orgullo de Carrboro.

• Date: June 26, 2026 (easy to remember: 6‑26‑26)
• Time: 5:00–9:00 pm
• Location: Carrboro Town Commons

The party effectively starts at 4:30 pm at El Centro Hispano on Weaver Street, where we’ll gather and then start a Pride Piper walk down Weaver Street to Town Commons. We pull the Rainbow Ram together as we walk, and everyone is welcome to join. Often, the mayor and other local officials from Carrboro and Chapel Hill come, along with community members.

JM: This event sounds like it should have always been here. How did this particular celebration come to be?

CL: Carrboro’s Pride events have changed over time. There were Pride events pre‑pandemic, and after the pandemic we had the Carrboro Pride Food Truck Rodeo and Dance Party beginning around 2021. We ran that version for about four years.

Last year, the partnership with El Centro Hispano really took shape. Members of the Latinx community had concerns about gathering for a standalone Orgullo celebration, and they approached the Town about joining forces with Carrboro’s existing Pride dance party.

Merging [the events] was a natural step and also a response to safety and inclusion concerns. Now we have a larger, more inclusive event that:

• Reflects the diversity of our community;
• Is infused with Latinx culture, music, food, and joy; and,
• Aligns with Carrboro’s values of equity and inclusion and our commitment to ensuring all residents feel welcomed, seen, and supported.

 JM: What was the vibe like last year?

Orlando Martinez (OM): It was amazing. I loved it, and I’m really happy it’s happening again. We hope to see everybody there.

JM: What makes this event unique? What can people expect?

CL: It brings together many parts of our community: Latinx residents, LGBTQ+ residents, allies, families, children, and neighbors from all backgrounds.

People can expect:

• Drag performances from artists like Kiki Diamond alongside Hispanic performers
• Latino music
• Family activities
• Food trucks
• A great chance to connect with community resources at tables in the Town Commons pavilions

JM: What do you have specifically for young people?

OM: We’ll have a kids’ area, including face painting, books, and other activities. Our mobile unit from El Centro Hispano will also be there offering blood pressure checks, HIV testing, and general health information.

For me, the most important thing is that it’s truly family‑friendly—there’s a specific space and activities for kids and families.

JM: And how about us older folks?

CL: Oscar (Garcia Cervantes) will get you up and dancing, I promise! He’s the Zumba king. He offers free Zumba classes at Town Commons and does a lot of programming in Carrboro and Chapel Hill.

JM: Is there a cost to attend?

CL: It’s absolutely free to attend.

JM: Will there be things for sale?

OM: Yes, there will be: food trucks and likely desserts.

CL: We’ll also have Pride fans; a new Orgullo T‑shirt design with the Town of Carrboro and El Centro Hispano logos—very cool, people will want that; and, necklaces and fans.

Oscar is planning a dance using a fan, inspired by work we did with fans during Carrboro’s All‑America City presentation.

JM: What brings you to work for the Town of Carrboro?

CL: I’ve lived here for more than two decades, so I’m a long‑time resident and I love this community. Working for the community where I live is unique and special.

In communications, I try to hold a mirror to Carrboro—reflecting what’s here: a lot of love and unity and support civic engagement—getting people involved with government issues. But also create spaces to break bread together, dance together, and have fun.

Those fun connections help build relationships. Once relationships are formed, it’s easier to invite people into the harder asks—like attending council meetings or learning about complex issues. My work grows from my love of community and of this town in particular.

JM (to OM): How about you—what brings you to this kind of work?

OM: I started as a step and Zumba step instructor about 10 years ago. I loved working with the community, and I began to see how many of my people needed resources and didn’t know where to go.

In 2022, I joined El Centro Hispano as a community health worker. Now I work as an LGBTQ+ community worker. I run a support group for people living with HIV, and lead Nuestra Voz, a support group for the LGBTQ+ community.

My passion comes from seeing the needs, knowing I’ve been there myself, and being able to help connect people with resources and support.

JM: We probably have some Latinx listeners. Could you tell them in Spanish what El Centro Hispano is?

OM (summarized in English): El Centro Hispano is a non‑profit organization that:

• Helps people find resources
• Offers different programs and education classes (Spanish, English, etc.)
• Provides support groups, including an LGBTQ+ group
• Offers mental health and general health support

We invite everyone to come to the Orgullo de Carrboro festival on June 26 and to visit our organization for support.

JM: How can people connect with your services?

OM: We have offices in Durham, Carrboro, and Raleigh.

People can visit any office and ask for the Nuestra Voz LGBTQ+ program and connect about other services we offer.

JM: How can people get involved with this particular event—as vendors or volunteers?

OM: We still have spots for vendors and we’re also looking for volunteers. People can use the link we’ll provide or call our office.

JM: Can you give a phone number listeners can call to volunteer or become a vendor?

OM: Yes, 984‑245‑5620. I’m the person who will be connecting with people about the event.

JM: Can they find information online?

OM: Yes, on El Centro Hispano’s website—they’ll find the flyer, event details, and resources.

CL: The Town of Carrboro has also published the information. The event is listed there, with a link to the El Centro forms where you can sign up to be a volunteer, vendor, or participate in other ways.

JM: Do you have community feedback from last year that’s informing this year’s event?

CL: Yes. What I hear is that people see it as an event for everyone, full of joy and good times. Whether you come for the music, the drag shows, the food trucks, the resources, or the kids’ fun, there’s something for every age and background. We especially love seeing families attend together and build memories in a welcoming environment.

OM: People told me they love the walk. In the old Orgullo, we didn’t do that walk, so it’s a big plus now.

CL: The walk is like a mini‑parade. Weaver Street is the heart of Carrboro parades—July 4th, Pride, holiday events. Now, people can meet at El Centro Hispano on Weaver Street and walk a short distance to Town Commons.

This reminds me to mention parking--Carrboro has lots of free public parking. You can Google “Carrboro parking” and look for the public parking map. There’s ample parking at the Drakeford Library Complex parking deck and other public lots. People should not park at Carr Mill Mall, as it’s a private lot.

JM: A pro tip: there’s also a lot on the other side of Breakaway Café on Greensboro Street. It’s been repaved, so it’s much easier to get in now.

I’d like to ask about healthcare services and support that will be part of this event.

OM: Our mobile unit will provide blood pressure checks, HIV testing, and health information about living well.

CL: El Centro Hispano regularly partners with our Carrboro in Motion events at apartment complexes. They often bring this mobile clinic—a truck or van—to provide services, and it’s very well used.

OM: We also sometimes give food away, and that’s something we plan to do at this year’s event as well.

JM: Outside the event, if people are looking for healthcare support, where can they find it?

OM: At El Centro Hispano, we have resources and take calls and refer people to other organizations depending on where they live and what they need.

JM: Are there additional services, like consular help or mental health resources, that you’d like the community—especially the Latinx community—to know about?

OM: Yes. For our Latinx community, at the event we’ll also have:

• The Mexican consulate for information
• Depression screenings
• HIV tests (totally confidential)

We invite people who’ve never been tested to use this as a safe, confidential opportunity.

JM: Does Carrboro provide support services for the gay community, the Hispanic community—really for everyone?

CL: Yes, many services. We also collaborate closely with community organizations. For example, we are a regular funding partner of El Centro Hispano and we also support other agencies that do outreach and provide services.

Many nonprofits will be tabling at the Pride event (and there are likely still a few slots open).

JM: What’s the community impact of an event like this? How do you see it affecting Carrboro overall?

CL: Carrboro has long valued Pride and supported the LGBTQ+ community, and we’re always looking for ways to celebrate.

Even though I’m not a member of the LGBTQ+ community, I believe everyone deserves to feel welcome, valued, and safe being who they are and supporting and actively organizing Pride celebrations is about supporting our neighbors, friends, family, coworkers, and community members.

This is why Pride has such an established place in Carrboro’s life—long before this event’s current name. Our history includes:

• The first domestic partner registry in North Carolina (1994)
• Among the first to support civil marriage for same‑sex couples and inclusive immigration reform
• The first municipality to call for the repeal of HB2 (the discriminatory “bathroom bill”) in 2016
• Among the first (with Chapel Hill and Hillsborough) to adopt a local non‑discrimination ordinance for public accommodations and employment (2021)
• A strong record of LGBTQ+ representation in elected office, including:
  • First gay mayor (1995)
  • First lesbian mayor (2013)
  • A second gay mayor (2021)
  • Multiple LGBTQ+ aldermen and council members
  • First Latinx LGBTQ+ council member (2022)
  • First non‑binary council member (2023)

OM: For the Latinx community, this event has a huge impact. We feel included—not only as LGBTQ+ people, but as Latinx people, and seen and welcomed in a public, celebratory way.

The feedback I’ve gotten is that people loved last year’s event, especially feeling included and enjoying the walk.

JM: How does this fit into the broader Chapel Hill–Carrboro area?

CL: Carrboro and Chapel Hill are one community in many ways. We want Chapel Hill, Durham, and the whole area to feel welcome.

We have something called Small Town Pride, shared between Chapel Hill and Carrboro:

• Chapel Hill kicks off June with the Pride promenade down Franklin Street
• Carrboro closes out Pride Month with this Pride Dance Party / Fiesta del Orgullo de Carrboro

Everyone is welcome to both.

JM: Anything else you want people to know?

OM: For our Latinx community, this event says: you are included. That feeling of inclusion is very important, and people loved it last year.

CL: We’re very excited and grateful to be here. We hope to see you all on June 26—6‑26‑26—for a night to remember. Happy Pride Month!

JM: Thank you both for being here and for bringing our listeners all the details for what promises to be a grand celebration. I’ll be there, and we hope our listeners will join us too.