PBS WISCONSIN EVENTS

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Poage Pride Picnic

WHEN:

Thu, Sep 14, 2023 at 5:00 pm

WHERE:

Poage Park in La Crosse, 500 Hood St, La Crosse, WI 54601

Text reads "Poage Pride Picnic" next to a photo of George Poage.

You and your family are invited to Poage Park in La Crosse for a free picnic celebrating George Poage!

At the event, you’ll enjoy:

  • Free food from Press Break
  • Yard games, activities, and the park playground
  • 6 pm performance of George Poage by the Enduring Families Project
  • Projected clips of George Poage’s story from the PBS Wisconsin documentary Wisconsin Pride

George Coleman Poage (1880 – 1962), a scholar and decorated track athlete raised in La Crosse, was the first Black Olympic medalist. Clues from his life pointed historians to his identity as a gay man, and his story is certainly one worth celebrating.

This event, part of La Crosse’s Pride Week, is a collaboration of PBS Wisconsin, La Crosse Public Library Archives, Enduring Families Project, The Center: 7 Rivers LGBTQ+ Connection, UW-La Crosse History Department, and La Crosse Parks, Recreation & Forestry.