HAVERHILL — The city’s first-ever Pride Parade is less than a month away and event organizers are pulling out all the stops to raise money ahead of the fun.
It was an early kickoff to pride season in April at Wicked Axe, where more than 200 people packed the sports bar for “Random Axe of Kindness,” a pre-Pride fundraiser that rallied support for the parade. With drag performances, DJ sets and a dance floor, folks shared a night of celebrating LGBTQ+ voices and creating inclusive spaces at the ax-throwing venue.
Hosted by Haverhill Pride, organizers said the first fundraiser was a success, collecting $6,000 through merchandise, tickets and raffles that evening. This drew the group closer to its $15,000 mark to cover programming costs.
The parade is set for June 7 during the first week of Pride Month, with a route planned throughout downtown Haverhill. At 12:30 p.m., a keynote speaker will address the parade-goers at City Hall. Next, a Progress Pride flag will flail overhead, raising representation for queer folk, transgender individuals and people of color.
Marchers will step foot onto Main Street at 1 p.m.; turn right on Merrimack Street; continue onto Washington Street; right on Railroad Square; and right on Wingate Street where it will end.
As the parade ends, participants will be carried straight into the Haverhill Art Walk, which is scheduled to occur the same day. They can also stop at nearby pubs for a pint, with the Drag Queen Bar Crawl beginning at 2 p.m.
Haverhill Art Walk Director Hailey Moschella said the idea for a Pride parade sprouted shortly after Newburyport hosted one last year.
“It felt like this was the next step,” she said. “Organizing something like this and having it launch into Art Walk, and it’s just incredible to witness the energy behind this.”
Nathan Phillips, Haverhill Pride’s marketing lead, also expressed gratitude to the community for the overwhelmingly positive response to the parade – even before its debut.
Donations, sponsorships and a 200-person turnout are fueling the fire behind Haverhill Pride’s fundraising efforts. Partners such as Wicked Axe, which offered the space for free, have supported the committee since the parade was in early development.
It is one of several local businesses to become a sponsor such as Stem, Pentucket Bank, G’s Texas Southern Flare and others.
It proved to be a perfect environment for a night of glitz, glam and acceptance. Drag performers Madam Zapple, Izzy Ready and Russel Sprouts strutted past lanes of ax throwers while Haverhill’s PJ the DJ kept the music bumping.
Also in attendance was HealthQ, a reproductive health clinic that educates local residents on sexual safety, gender affirming care and other health concerns.
“That is a key for Haverhill Pride,” Phillips said. “It’s not just a celebration. Part of this is meeting the needs of our community that are unique and typically not attended to by health care services.”
Haverhill Pride, a program of Creative Haverhill, is still searching for supporters, who can visit creativehaverhill.org/haverhill-pride for more information.