DC Black Pride festival is the nation's oldest Black Pride and in 2008 it is finally legal at age 18. With the event right around the corner (Memorial Day Weekend) committee members are rushing to prepare for the gathering of locals and out-of-towners. But there is one guest the didn't count on being there:

Darryl Wilson's new Chocolate City Fest 2008.

In the past, Daryl Wilson Promotions partnered with DC Black Pride. This year things are different.

Wilson has been a pillar of the Black Gay Entertainment and Promotional circle in DC. Last year he single handedly was at the forefront of the Black & Sexy party, the Black All Over party, the Dreamboys performance, and Patti Labelle and Jennifer Hudson at Love Nightclub.


Darryl Wilson with Ms Patti Labelle

Wilson gave this statement to Metro Weekly ''For the last many, many years I've worked alongside, in conjunction with, the DC Black Pride board,'' says Wilson. ''I've just seen a breakdown in the way they promote D.C. The numbers have dropped tremendously. You don't have anyone out in the market promoting DC Black Pride. You don't hear from them except once a year.''

DC'S Chocolate... Losing It's Sweetness??


City Gym Boys

Wilson also adds that DC Black Pride has been up against some stiff competition from new Memorial Day Weekend events for the black gay community in Miami and Cancun

Wilson says that DC isn't much competition for Miami and Cancun ''I'm offering something for people who know my events,'' Wilson says. ''I decided to just launch my own weekend. Hopefully it will breathe some life into the city.'' Wilson says

DC Black Pride gave this statement to Metro Weekly after hearing about Wilson's plans.

''We were made aware of plans on his Web site, of an event that looked very much like our event,'' says Courtney Snowden, current president of DC Black Pride, recalling events from late 2007. ''Initially, his site was called 'DC Black Pride.' We called him and let him know that was not appropriate.''


Courtney Snowden & Ray Daniels (File photos from 2007 Black Pride Guide)

Snowden says she had a long conversation with Wilson about the possibility of working together, but Wilson ''was unwilling'' to sit down and discuss the issue with the board. ''[Wilson] was committed to maintaining his event, unwilling to look at a way to maintain the success of both events or one collective effort,'' says Snowden. DC Black Pride Vice President Ray Daniels says he was shocked upon learning of Wilson's move, adding, ''For him to create a series of events and activities, it felt like a personal attack. It's a little hostile.'' Daniels notes that other party promoters have planned activities, but not on the same scale having a host hotel and offering similar events to those offered by Pride. ''We've seen nothing like this,'' says Daniels.

Washington D.C. will now see two events for Memorial Day Weekend, who will be independent of each other. The two events will have two different host hotels, two different headliners, two different weekend passes, etc

Jansi LLC, the company that publishes Metro Weekly, is contracted by DC Black Pride to publish the Black Pride Guide for the festival.

Chocolate City Fest has announced its full nightlife lineup, including Stephanie Mills, Daryl Stephens and Remy Ma.

DC Black Pride has not yet posted a full nightlife schedule, though organizers did announce they have secured a performance by Fantasia.

Despite the competing program, Snowden says DC Black Pride has little to worry about. ''We have an 18-year track record that draws a larger crowd every year,'' she says. ''We had 35,000 people [attending Pride events] last year. I don't think our success has dwindled. I think we've only become more popular. I'm excited that the numbers for our host hotel are high -- room blocks will likely be filled in the next couple weeks.''

but how long does DC think that it's long good standing history will last. Only time will tell. Can DC compete with Miami, Cancun.

Snowden and Wilson agree, is that having two large celebrations -- albeit, not affiliated -- may serve to make the District a greater magnet for those who may otherwise be heading to Miami or Cancun. Another point of agreement seems to be that neither Snowden nor Wilson is ready to write the other off entirely.

''I'd never rule out any opportunity to work with someone,'' Snowden insists. ''It's frustrating that we had to distract some of our attention. It's frustrating he doesn't have the same community-mindedness. But I don't have a negative thing to say about him.'' Says Wilson: ''I'm not closed to where I would not work with them.'' What Washington witnesses on Memorial Day Weekend may be a sign of things to come. First Miami had Sizzle. Now it also has Sizzle Her. And Cancun has ''Walking on Sunshine.'' The African-American GLBT community is just that -- a community -- but it is also a market. Snowden says that while there was a sense of ''urgency'' surrounding the first DC Black Pride Celebration in 1991, ''There are more opportunities now for gay, black people to come together.'' Or, as Wilson observes with an entrepreneurial eye, ''It's just a different demographic of kids out now. It's a whole new breed, kids who have no idea of the foundation or the history of this stuff. They just want to know where the party is.''

For more information about DC Black Pride, visit www.dcblackpride.org. For more information about Chocolate City Fest 2008, visit daryl202dc.com.