Rainbow Dance Party to be held at Windham’s Roosevelt Room

By Erin Rose

Rainbows and dancing shoes will be essential for an upcoming Pride event in Windham.

The Roosevelt Room at 965 Roosevelt Trail in Windham is hosting a Rainbow Dance Party to celebrate Pride, starting at 6:30 p.m. on Saturday, June 27.

“I recently came into this position at the Roosevelt Room, and it was one of the things I asked about – what are we doing for Pride,” said Nicole Petrin, Roosevelt Room Event Coordinator.

The dance party, for ages 21 and up, will include a karaoke hour and three drag performers, “dancing and having a great time,” Petrin said. Tickets cost $15.

Food and drink will be available for purchase, including two drinks that Petrin has created. Both mixed drinks, one tastes like birthday cake while the other is a refreshing floral mix with elderberry and lavender.

“I’m not a bartender, so it was exciting to make my first drink that actually tasted good and tasted like I wanted it to,” she said. “There will be plenty of glitter added to both.”

Kate Turpen, President of Windham Raymond Pride, says that she is excited for the chance to celebrate with people in the community.

“To find out we have allies in the community without us having to build that connection was huge,” they said. “It may be a first of its kind event in our community. It’s hopeful, and it shows the solidarity of our neighbors.”

Windham Raymond Pride will also be raffling off a basket that will include a gift card to Ironclad Eats and Pride swag, Turpen said.

“I’m excited to see who is going to show up, and from how many other communities,” they said. “Windham isn’t the only community that hasn’t had a ton of LGBTQ focused programming, so I’m curious how far people are going to come in for this.”

June has been globally recognized as Pride Month, a time of celebration, commemoration, and activism for the LGBTQ+ community. The activities during Pride Month are not only a vibrant celebration of diversity and self-affirmation, but also a potent reminder of the need to promote equity, acceptance, and respect for all, regardless of sexual orientation or gender identity.

After working at a hotel in the Old Port, the position in Windham offered Petrin a chance to expand on her goal of focusing on event planning.

“Working in a hotel in the Old Port was delightful because I enjoy people watching and it’s a really great place to do that,” she said. “I have always been events focused, and I saw this position open as a chance to move more toward events. It was scary at first, but it was the ideal thing for me. I can help other people with their events which is really fun. I can also do my own events where I can put an idea into the world, and it comes out. That’s what I have always wanted to do.”

To learn more about the Rainbow Dance Party, including how to purchase tickets, or other events at the Roosevelt Room, can be found at https://www.therooseveltroomme.com/events. <