West Hartford hosted their sixth annual Pride Festival that brought the community together to celebrate love, joy, and unity. 

By Roz Green and Mia Jaworski

On Saturday, June 21, West Hartford celebrated Pride Month  by hosting its annual Pride Festival. The event was packed with people, vendors, bands, and drag performances, bringing the town to life. The empowering lyrics “I am beautiful, in every single way,” originally performed by Christina Aguilera, echoed through the Town Hall parking lot as attendees joined together, celebrating self-acceptance and community pride.

Community members gathered to enjoy everything West Hartford offered to celebrate the LGBTQ+ community. Many in the crowd wore vibrant, rainbow-covered attire, waving rainbow flags high with pride. 

RuPaul’s Drag Race season 12’s Miss Congeniality, Heidi ‘N Closet, opened the drag performances garnering laughter and excitement. Her infectious performance made it hard for the audience to stay seated. Although there was a slight altercation where two anti-LGBTQ+ protestors marched through, the crowd remained unfazed, responding with singing and cheers, not letting the negativity ruin their bright spirits. 

The Free Mom Hugs booth offered hugs to anyone who approached, providing connection and affirmation during the event. Founded by Sara Cunningham, the national nonprofit promoted support, visibility, and acceptance for LGBTQ+ individuals and has grown to include chapters in all 50 states with more than 37,000 volunteers worldwide.

On the sunny, 87-degree day, a festival attendee adorned with glitter and draped in Pride flags and merchandise performed a cartwheel just outside the entrance to the festival. The lively moment reflected the event’s focus on authentic self-expression and the celebration of community in an open, welcoming space. 

The Rainbow Center at the University of Connecticut was featured at the UConn Alumni tent during West Hartford Pride. The Rainbow Center works to create a fair and supportive environment for all students, faculty, and staff, with a focus on helping LGBTQ+ and transgender people feel included and supported.

It offers many resources such as educational materials about LGBTQ+ terms, guides on gender and pronouns, free rapid HIV and Hepatitis C testing, and mentoring programs. The center also hosts events like drag shows and a special graduation ceremony called Lavender Graduation to celebrate LGBTQ+ students.

Even with the sun blazing down on West Hartford, love and happiness spread through the air and smiles lit up everyone’s faces. Drag performer Angel Rivers encouraged the crowd at West Hartford Pride to join in chanting, “Be a part of this revolution.”

From the overwhelming support to the exciting performances, this year’s West Hartford Pride Festival radiated joy and community spirit.

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