Centennial Park at the Suncor Agora was filled with music, bubbles and smiles Saturday afternoon during the second day of Sarnia-Lambton’s first Pridefest.
Organized by Diversity Ed, a group working to create a safer, inclusive and equitable environment for 2SLGBTQAI+ communities, Pridefest featured paid events Friday and Saturday evenings and free events Saturday and Sunday afternoons.
“We are beyond thrilled,” Adam Gariepy, co-founder of Diversity Ed, said Saturday.
“I think it just exceeded our expectations for year one.”
Gariepy said organizers heard plenty of positive feedback from those attending, as well as sponsors and volunteers.
“We looked around yesterday and we just stood back and were like, ‘Wow, we did it,’” he said.
Along with bands, drag artists and other performers on stage, Pridefest had 36 agencies and vendors, as well as four food vendors, in the park.
Sarnia-Lambton Rebound was also manning the canteen in the park to raise money for its Spectrum program.
“I think it’s wonderful,” Zibby Blanchard with Spectrum said while making buttons for kids stopping by the program’s booth Saturday. “I think it has been a long time coming.”
About 25 young people take part in Spectrum, a safe drop-in space for 2SLGBTQAI+ youth “to hang out and just be who they are,” Blanchard said.
Gariepy said holding Pridefest in Sarnia is important because “we are getting there but we’re not there yet.”
“There’s still a lot of education to happen, and we’re here and we’re not going anywhere,” he said.
“At the end of the day, love is stronger than hate and we want to show that. We also want to show that we have a time to celebrate.”
He gave credit to the team of volunteers who provided “hours and hours” to help plan and organize Pridefest.
“Everyone has just been absolutely amazing and we wouldn’t be here without all their hard work,” Gariepy said.
Diversity Ed has a drop-in center at 179 Christina St., N. and works to “ensure safer spaces are created for folks nationwide,” Gariepy said.
Pride festivals are held across the country, including in nearby communities of London and Windsor, he said.
“It’s just really great to finally have a pride festival here in Sarnia and we hope to continue it every year,” Gariepy said.
“We’re thrilled with the turnout.”
2SLGTBQAI+ is an acronym for two-spirit, lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer and/or questioning, asexual, intersex, and the plus reflects the countless ways in which people choose to self-identify, according to the website for the Middlebury Institute of International Studies in Monterey, California.