Cincinnati Pride’s big festival and parade may be canceled this year, but organizers are still finding ways to celebrate the LGBTQ+ community.
The organization is planning a variety of smaller or outdoor events for June to celebrate Pride Month, including a Pride Market at the Park on Sunday, June 27. A collaboration with the Greater Cincinnati Gay Chamber of Commerce, the pop-up market in Washington Park will spotlight roughly 25 LGBTQ- and ally-owned retail businesses that have been affected by the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.
Dustin Lewis, entertainment chair for Cincinnati Pride, tells CityBeat that though the Pride Market and other upcoming events aren’t replacements for the traditional festival, they’re still vital for supporting LGBTQ+ individuals.
“Pride is so much more than just a festival or a parade,” Lewis says. “Cincinnati Pride felt incredibly fortunate to maintain so many wonderful and longtime partnerships and sponsorships with many organizations in our community this year, and more than anything, we felt a responsibility to find ways to deliver Pride, albeit different and more safely.”
Lewis says that in addition to retailers, the Pride Market will feature queer DJs and LGBTQ-owned food trucks. Safety is an important consideration, Lewis says, and vendors will be distanced. Signage will direct foot traffic and remind attendees to spread out and wear face masks to prevent COVID-19 transmission, and volunteers will be near each entrance to share why shopping at the market is meaningful.
“We don't want people to just look and say, ‘Oh there's shops.’ We want them to know, 'OK, it’s a Pride Market’ and these local vendors are here for a reason and a purpose today,” Lewis says.
For more information, visit cincinnatipride.org or Cincinnati Pride’s Facebook page.
