Pride Festival to return to Mill Race

Lisa Huffman

The Columbus Pride Festival, which attracted an estimated 2,500 people last year, will return to Mill Race Park downtown from 1 to 7 p.m. Sept. 30.

Organizers announced that they still are seeking general corporate sponsorships and also a sponsorship for its Kids Zone that proved popular last year with activities ranging from games to face painting. They hope to further expand that area.

New festival director Lisa Huffman pointed out that this year’s gathering is as important as any of the previous such events, considering Gov. Eric Holcomb’s recently signing of a measure allowing school libraries to ban books. In many areas, calls for such bans center heavily on materials for and about an LGBTQ audience — the same audience for the local festival.

“I think that especially right now, while there are so many things happening politically, I believe that people may think there isn’t as much support in a smaller town for this (event),” Huffman said. “So I think it becomes really important to have such a celebration where so many people show up, whether they are LGBTQ people or allies.

“Plus, it’s important for people to know there are places they can get plugged in to the LGBTQ community, or to feel supported and connected.”

Last year’s event featured a record 80 vendors, from nonprofits those selling a variety of clothing and merchandise, at the park. Already, nearly 40 vendors have signed up in one month’s time for this year’s festival with a sign-up deadline of Aug. 1.

This year, organizers are especially hoping to increase the number for food vendors to further shorten lines for service. The ever-popular drag show is scheduled from 5 to 7 p.m. at the amphitheater.

Separate from that, organizers still are seeking more general entertainment acts.

The gathering earned worldwide media attention its inaugural year in 2018 because publications focused on a local teen student who organized it in the hometown of the conservative and then-U.S. Vice President Mike Pence.

The festival’s website summarizes its purpose as “to unite Columbus as one community that celebrates diversity, fosters inclusion for all and embraces the LGBTQ community.”

In the past, the festival has attracted attendees from Indianapolis, Bloomington, and a broad range of other areas throughout the state and elsewhere. Erin Bailey, then a senior at Columbus Signature Academy — New Tech High School, originally organized the festival as her senior project.