LEWISBURG, Pa. — The sun was shining, and the rainbows were out! Hufnagle Park in Lewisburg is back with its annual SUN PrideFest, celebrating inclusion for everyone in Snyder, Union, and Northumberland counties.
"I love it; everybody's inclusive. There's no hate; you know everybody love is love," said Janine Shaffer, Northumberland County.
This is the first year the weather cooperated, and it didn't rain on their parade!
"Yeah, absolutely, it's beautiful! I know everybody is so beautiful. I walk around and look at people, and I'm just like, I can't tell the difference between us, the staff, and the people that are here participating, so it's great, it really is," said Gwendyln Bobbi, President of The Association for Inclusion, Respect, and Equity.
Gwen Bobbi is one of the organizers of the event and says this year; they joined forces with the summer craft fair to make the fest an even bigger celebration.
This craft artist from Bloomsburg says he's proud to be able to support PrideFest while also selling his handcrafted jewelry.
"And to look at people's diversity and their individuality and support that in any way we can," said Andrew Woll, See It Made Crafts.
Apart from crafters, many festgoers drove from out of town just to be here.
"I saw it years prior, but I wasn't able to come, so I was like, oh, finally, I can come, actually," said Selena Ramirez, Williamsport.
Selena Ramirez's favorite part of the fest is the drag performances, "I just love that people are able to express themselves and perform and everything. It's just amazing."
Rainbow Faithnet, a coalition of clergy from around the Susquehanna River Valley, says this PrideFest is a safe space for many, and their organization is trying to break the stigma around members of faith and the LGBTQ+ community.
DC Fortune, a minister with the Unitarian Universalist Congregation of the Susquehanna Valley, says he remembers his feelings at his first pride fest in 1989 in Portland, Maine, "I mean, it was the first time either one of us had been in a place that celebrated us, and it was life-changing. It was life changing, and I love it now that there are churches and there are all sorts of folks out here. It's no longer cool to hate."