Submitted photo People look over a vendor’s merchandise at last year’s Columbus Pride Festival.
What started out as a senior project in 2018 by Erin Bailey has since evolved into a celebration of community and the creation of a safe space for all.
“It’s grown so much,” Columbus IN Pride Festival Director Lisa Huffman said.
The annual Columbus IN Pride Festival, sponsored by Indianapolis-based Y’all, will be held Sept. 6 at Mill Race Park from noon to 6 p.m. This year’s festival promises to be packed with activities for attendees of all ages, over 100 vendors, outstanding performances and much more.
Several performances will be held throughout the day, from Matty O. Entertainment, the First Presbyterian Church Choir, Aanartana Arts, Infinite Liveloop and Moxxie. From 4 to 6 p.m., Pat Yo Weave will return to host a drag show featuring five other performers.
A Kidszone called Rainbowland, sponsored by McDonald’s, will be open with activities from Dorothy’s Playhouse, kidscommons and Columbus Propeller, along with bounce houses, face painting, a magician and more.
For the teen crowd, a free teen area sponsored by Centra Credit Union will include drag performances, free food from Hot Box, karaoke and other activities.
“We have some food trucks, we have The Garage and Upland, our alcohol vendors, and then outside of that we have lots of craft vendors, non-profits, all kinds of people come and set up booths,” Huffman said.
The Columbus IN Pride Festival is free to attend.
Huffman said the festival committee is always trying to improve the layout based on feedback, so this year’s festival will have a slightly different layout. She said they also focus on the safety and security of vendors and patrons.
“We did have some issues last year of some protestors bothering the vendors, so we’re taking more precautions this year by having a barrier set back further from the vendors so that any protestors outside of the festival area are physically further away from the vendors or the attendees,” Huffman said.
Even with some protestors and the current political climate presenting issues, Huffman said the community has been overwhelmingly supportive of the Pride Festival, and community involvement and sponsorships have just grown over the years. She said there’s something for everyone at the festival, from great shopping to great food to great entertainment.
“The past few years we’ve had really nice days at the park, so it’s just a really great opportunity to get the whole family out, maybe experience things that you’re not used to, learn a couple things, meet different people,” Huffman said. “It’s just kind of a great place to mingle with everybody who’s really comfortable and excited and happy to celebrate their authentic selves. It’s a really welcoming place where everyone can be authentic and celebrated.”
