For years, every June and October I watched with envy as my Instagram and Twitter feeds were filled with pictures and descriptions of fun events that happened at Pride festivals. I always longed for the chance to go and was planning on going to Pittsburgh Pride in 2020, but unfortunately, that was cancelled due to a little thing called a global pandemic. Therefore, when LGBTQ+ History Month rolled around and Lancaster Pride was announced, I jumped on the chance to go.
On Oct. 24, a group of friends and I travelled to the Clipper Magazine Stadium in Lancaster, Pa. for the event. We got there right when the gates opened at 11 a.m., and anticipations were high despite the outside of the stadium being dull. My one friend and I had spent two hours that morning getting rainbow-ed out, and we were ready to enter.
Entry to the stadium was only $5, and parking was surprisingly manageable. To get in, we had to have proof of being either vaccinated against COVID-19 or a negative COVID-19 test. I am already vaccinated, but I appreciated the fact that the vendors set up a booth for rapid testing. I felt very safe with all the cautionary measures taken.
Pride itself was an event unlike no other. Once I walked through the gate, I was blown away with how incredible everyone looked. Everywhere my eyes went, I was hit with waves of color. The thing that I loved the most though was how happy and free everyone was. I do not think that I saw a single sad person there. It was a wonderful atmosphere to be in, and the positivity was absolutely infectious. Looking at my pictures that I took, it is clear to me that I was radiating happiness.
With over one hundred vendors, there was no shortage of things to look at. It took my friends over three hours to visit all the booths that were lined up on the field and above the seats. One great perk is that so many sellers were offering free items. By the end of the day, my purse was filled with stickers, fliers, wrist bands, pins, chapsticks and a variety of other things.
One of my favorite vendors was not truly a vendor at all. They were a group of moms that were offering free mom hugs. With having not seen my mom in almost two months, getting those hugs felt amazing.
Other booths that stood out were a State Farm Agent dressed up as a pirate with an adorable golden retriever named George, Panera, Geico and T-Mobile. At the Geico booth, I had the absolute honor of taking a picture with the iconic Geico Gecko, so that was definitely a highlight of my afternoon.
If you cannot tell, I had the absolute time of my life at Lancaster Pride. It was incredible talking to so many people. People just started conversations with me, and I did the same. One cool moment was when I found that one person and I had attended the same Taylor Swift concert in Pittsburgh. I cannot think of too many other places where I could have just struck up a conversation with a stranger, but Pride gave me and so many others the confidence to do just that. If you ever get the chance to go to a Pride event, whether it be through Lancaster Pride or some other association, go even if you are an ally. The experience is truly like no other.
