Richmond Pride celebrates diversity, growth in larger festival
Jun. 3—Richmond kicked off Pride Month this past weekend at Irvine McDowell Park with its growing Pride Festival, which featured a little rain and a lot of fun.
Board Member Chadwick Horn noted that this year's festival has sized up from previous years, growing to 110 vendors, including a dozen from out of state, and 13 food trucks.
"Aside from some occasional rain later in the afternoon, the event was lively with a constant stream of people coming in. Everyone we spoke with was very happy being there and so many people complimented us on how professionally organized it was," Horn said.
He added that the festival welcomed approximately 4,300 people, though the organizer feels confident that the rain later in the day may have "literally put a damper" on attendance numbers.
However, that did not dampen the accepting and free spirit of the day, which he said was enhanced by the diligence and care of the local police department.
"We had no protesters," Horn reported. "Everyone that showed up wanted to be there. They wanted to be part of something greater and many of our allies brought their children to teach them how to love without judgment. I would also like to thank the RPD for providing a safe spot for people to safely be their authentic selves."
Taylor Lake, an esteemed local drag king who also goes by Viktor Diamond, also excitedly noted the growth, saying, "I was so excited to see how many more vendors and food trucks there were this year, this means more people are wanting to really support the Richmond, KY LGBTQIA Plus community, and I think that really amazing."
Lake recalled that they "didn't meet a stranger" in the sea of smiling faces, fondly recognizing Teresa White and Connie Fugate at the Kentucky Embraces You booth for being "amazing allies who really care about making people feel welcomed and loved for who they are."
They also remarked that it was a great time performing for the Richmond crowd.
"The crowd at the drag show was amazing, everyone was smiling, having a great time, and looked really happy to be there, which is really one of the main reasons I love performing; I love to entertain because I can help make people happy through art, and that in return makes me happy," they said.
Ron Flickinger, best known for operating the Mac-a-Tude food truck around town, also praised the organizers' work in providing a pleasant environment to serve food and make money. He said that Pride is one of his top performing events since vending with the organization in its second year, coming second to Millstone Festival.
"Pride is a wonderful event to participate in filled with the most pleasant people that you will find. Everyone is polite. They are nice. They are patient , a vendor cannot ask for more," he said.
Next year will be the fifth year of the Pride Festival, and Horn assured that next year will be a "big time" celebration that will help Richmond Pride accomplish their lofty goal os opening the Richmond Pride Center, which will provide resources to those in the community who wish to learn more about LGBTQIA+ causes and resources.
"We are actively looking for community sponsors who are able to help us with our goal of opening the Richmond Pride Center. All of the money that we currently raise via vendor fees and donations goes towards our events and 100% back into the community, but our goal for our 5th anniversary is to also open a local resource and learning center for our community," Horn said.
If anyone is interested in this opportunity, please contact [email protected].