Otsego Pride Alliance’s annual Pridefest is scheduled to return Saturday, June 7, with a parade along Main Street and a festival in Neahwa Park.
Every year the festival has a specific theme and this year’s is “A Celebration of Queer Love,” the alliance’s website stated.
One special event during Saturday’s festivals will be a wedding ceremony at 3:30 p.m. to commemorate the 10th anniversary of same-sex marriage legalized nationwide. This month marks the 10th anniversary of the U.S. Supreme Court’s Obergefell v. Hodges ruling, which recognized same-sex marriage nationwide. It was a watershed event in establishing rights for LGBTQ+ people across the country.
According to the OPA’s website, the Collective Celebration of Love Ceremony is open to anyone, including those who want to renew their vows or commitments. The wedding officiant can perform legal marriages and attendees who want to be legally married need to bring their marriage license with them. Those who do not want to get legally married or cannot because they are under 18, may participate in the collective ceremony. People need to preregister for the ceremony through the alliance’s website.
The festival will begin with a parade down Main Street. Line up is at 1 p.m. along Market Street, and the parade will begin at 1:30 p.m. and follow the normal parade route to Neahwa Park, the website stated.
According to the OPA’s Facebook page, the schedule in the park will be: 1:50 p.m., dancers from Holbrook-Wade School of Dance, in front of the stage; 2 p.m., opening ceremony; 2:15 p.m., Remembrance Ceremony; 2:30 p.m. Kota Flood Memorial Scholarship presentation; 2:40 p.m. OPA Awards Ceremony; 2:50 p.m. God’s Not Buying a Horse Today, music; 3:30 p.m. A Big Gay Wedding!!; 4 p.m. drag show, with Hostess Natalie Taylor, set 1; 4:45 p.m. “Lets Do the Time Warp Again;” 5 p.m., drag show, with Hostess Natalie Taylor, set 2; 6 p.m., comedian Taury Seward; 6:25 p.m., Dan Lincoln, music; 6:45 p.m. Olivia Melendez, Lawson Roach & Katie Patterson, music; 7:30 p.m., raffle winners announced and closing remarks.
There will be food trucks and 70 vendors in the park.
Pridefest is a free, family-friendly festival, organized completely by volunteers and made possible by the support of community sponsors.
For more information or to sign up to be a vendor, visit otsegopridealliance.org.