Thousands gathered on Main Street on Saturday, June 24 for the first annual Three Rivers Pride Festival. The downtown streets were packed with art vendors, shopping, games, live music, food trucks, and colorful, vibrant displays of acceptance and love.
Andrew George of Three Rivers Pride told Watershed Voice it is “impossible to say” how many truly attended the festival on Saturday, but his closest estimate would be that between 2,500 to 3,000 funneled through at various points of the day.
For many, the event on Saturday offered an accessible opportunity to experience a Pride event for the very first time. Watershed Voice spoke to one such individual, Dontrell of Three Rivers, who said, “It’s nice to finally officially open up to ourselves and also learn about different diversity that someone might not know about. I’m looking forward to seeing all the diversity today, and also everyone expressing themselves and having fun and being happy.”
Desiree Salinas brought her 10-year-old nephew with her to Pride on Saturday and said she had been out of the closet since she was a junior in high school and thought: “Why not celebrate with my community?” Salinas, also experiencing her first Pride festival, was initially nervous to bring her nephew along and said, “I think the protests made us a little uncomfortable and nervous coming out here today, but we decided to celebrate anyway.”
While many people were attending their first Pride event, so were several participating vendors. Mark Quinn of Center Park United Methodist Church (18662 Moorepark Rd., Three Rivers) said the church decided to join the Pride event after becoming more affirming and welcoming over the last few years. “We just started a support group for families and parents that have kids who are starting to work through coming out and navigating all the difficult relationships and everything like that. We wanted to be here to represent,” Quinn said.
Attending the school’s first Pride, Glen Oaks Community College was also a participating vendor in the event. Watershed spoke to Danielle Easterday, an admissions representative with the college. “We are here with Glen Oaks Community College today and we wanted to be active in the community and let students know that we support them no matter what,” Easterday said. “I am looking forward to showing the community that Glen Oaks cares about them no matter who they are, what they look like, how they identify, and also getting to speak and talk to all different kinds of people.”
Newly established over the last few months, Sturgis Pride attended the festival Saturday in one of the first public engagements for the group to date. Member Heidi Wolfe told Watershed Voice, “The group really came together in the last couple months. I had seen that there were so many people in Sturgis that were supporting the LGBTQ communities, but we weren’t all united.” Wolfe said she persisted in talking and brainstorming about organizing an official Sturgis Pride group, and even consulted with Three Rivers Pride’s Andrew George throughout the process. “We had a few bumps in the road, but eventually it came together. I met with Andrew and he told me, ‘you know, it only takes one person to start something,’” Wolfe said.
When asked what attending her first Pride festival meant to her Wolfe said, “I have a heart for small towns, and also humans that are not equal or who are marginalized for some reason. I love the LGBTQ community because oftentimes it comes along with neuro-divergency and creativity. Those are my people! Another thing I’m realizing is that you don’t even have to say what you are, you can just be human and be your total, original self. That’s something I’ve struggled with my whole life.”
While the street was consistently packed over the course of the day with people enjoying drinks in the social district or visiting the many different participating vendors, music on both the East Alley and Main Stage kept the energy high and the atmosphere electrified. A spoken-word poetry performance by D. Flo’essence on the East Alley stage led seamlessly into a set by Mikel James Watkins. Meanwhile, the Main Stage saw performances by artists like Lvnmuziq, DJ Bobbo, DJ Short-E, and DJ Event Horizonz. A groovy and upbeat performance by Three Rivers own Funk 211 brought crowds of people dancing in the street and begging for encores. In an overwhelmingly-popular end to the Pride activities, The Kittens performed a completely sold-out drag show at the Riviera Theatre.
Downtown business and Pride bronze sponsor Portfolio Ink held a tattoo and piercing fundraiser during the festival, with proceeds going toward Three Rivers Pride 2024. Not only did the shop raise funds and help sponsor the festival, but shop owners Amber Ward and Jillian Gardner, along with employee Koi Nerad, volunteered their time as organizers for Pride, as well. Ward told Watershed Voice she estimates her shop raised “very close” to $2,000 Saturday.
Beca Welty is a staff writer and columnist for Watershed Voice.
