Sydney's Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras Festival 2013

Mardi Gras 2012 was Dayenu's 12th time marching in the Parade. We've marched every year since Dayenu's creation in 2000 (except for 2006). A lot has changed since 2000. Back then, a Jewish float in the page was front-page news - for the Australian Jewish News - and while the newspaper was very supportive of Dayenu, there was outrage within certain sections of the Sydney Jewish community. Letters and articles supporting and opposing the Jewish GLBTI community were published in the pages of the AJN for months. Ultimately, the overall response was positive, resulting in increased awareness of and support for GLBTI issues within the mainstream Jewish community. Unfortunately, there remains an undercurrent of unwavering homophobia from certain individuals within the more traditional sections of the community.

The dates for the 2013 Mardi Gras Festival are listed below. Please contact us as parade@dayenu.org.au if you'd like to march with us or if you have any questions.

Mardi Gras Fair Day - Sunday 10th February

For a number of years now, Fair Day has marked the start of the Mardi Gras Festival. Please see our archives page for photos of our stalls from previous years.

Please come along to Dayenu's stall at Fair Day. It's a great opportunity to meet the gang, to sign up for our Facebook group or Yahoo mailing list and also to sign up to march with Dayenu's float in the Parade.

Dayenu's Mardi Gras Shabbat Service and Dinner - Friday 1st March

Our annual Mardi Gras Shabbat Service and Dinner at Emanuel Synagogue takes place on the night before the Mardi Gras Parade.

The Shabbat service is free to all and is followed by a dinner hosted by Emanuel. Tickets for the dinner are $35 per person ($30 for Emanuel Synagogue members).

After a sellout dinner last year, make sure you book and pay early by contacting the synagogue directly on 02 9328 7833 (or +61 2 9328 7833 from overseas) or by booking online.

Mardi Gras Parade - Saturday 2nd March

This year marks the 13th anniversary of Dayenu marching in the Mardi Gras Parade, so what better way to celebrate than with a Bat/Bar Mitzvah!!!!

Early Bird registration

This year, to march with Dayenu's float the participation fee will be $40 for those who register and pay before Monday 11th February. The money will go towards the cost of entering the float into the parade and you will receive your own Dayenu Mardi Gras Kippa and Tallit to wear at the Parade and to keep as a memento. The participation fee after Monday 11th February is $50.

Please direct deposit funds into Dayenu's bank account (Details can be found on our Donations page). Please don't forget to put your name on the transaction and also email your details to mardigras@dayenu.org.au including a contact phone number and the names of the people that the payment covers. We will also accept registration and payment at the Dayenu stand on Fair Day.

The number of entrants to the parade is capped by Sydney Mardi Gras so please register early. This also helps with our planning and preparation.

Dayenu's1 2012 float was a huge success. Photos and videos of previous parades and our floats can be found on our archives page.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I help build the Dayenu float?

We usually start building our Mardi Gras float at the end of January or beginning of February and we advertise these dates on our Yahoo and Facebook groups. Float-build evenings are great social events too, so please come along and help out. If you are interested in getting involved, please see how to join our Yahoo or Facebook group on the contact us page.

I want to march with Dayenu in the Mardi Gras Parade. How do I register?

Please email info@dayenu.org.au for more information and to register. There will be a charge to march with Dayenu. See Mardi Gras event above for details.

I'm not out of the closet. Can I still participate in Dayenu events?

Many gay and lesbian Dayenu members have not come out to any family or friends (see our coming out page). Many of our events are private and GLBT-only and are held in members' homes, so you're not going to out yourself by coming along. Other events, such as our annual Mardi Gras Shabbat Dinner, are held on private property and are attended primarily by Dayenu members and Emanuel Synagogue members, so again you're in a safe environment. However, the Mardi Gras Parade is obviously much more public, with both local and international media coverage.

If you have any concerns about privacy, please contact us. More importantly, if you have any issues concerning your sexuality, please contact our counselling service. There's nothing worse than feeling like your alone. We want to help.

What should I wear for the Parade?

This varies from year to year. Sometimes we dress up and sometimes we all wear our Dayenu t-shirts. We do not encourage a sleazy look, but fully accept the desire of some members to accessorise. Please email us top register and if you have any concerns or questions.

Are any activities planned as a group after the Parade?

I represent a media organisation. Can I get access to the float during the parade?