Pride Festival will mark 20 years in Spencer Oct. 3
The first Saturday in October will bring Spencer’s 20th Annual Pride Festival, marking two decades of the event in the community.
The festival will run from noon to 7 p.m. Oct. 3 and feature a full day of family-friendly activities throughout downtown Spencer.
The Historic Tivoli Theatre will host performances throughout the day, including drag shows, the Quarryland Men’s Chorus, Tipsy Teasdale and several other regional performers.
Civilian Brewing Corps will serve alcoholic beverages during the festival and will be joined by more than 130 vendors, local businesses and food trucks.
Family activities will include WonderFest from Bloomington’s WonderLab, the outdoor Iris Fun Area, a Birdy scavenger hunt and other outdoor activities.
The festival schedule also includes a community yoga class, line dancing party, poetry writing workshop and tabletop gaming. Author Josh Vidmar will lead a discussion, while educator Ace Schwarz will give a presentation on supporting youth. Rainbow Birders will offer a birdwatching presentation titled “Looking for Birds in All the Wrong Seasons.”
Health resources available during the festival will include a community blood drive and free STI testing provided by local health partners.
For those traveling from outside Spencer, parking will be available at Boston Scientific, with free shuttles running throughout the day to transport festivalgoers downtown. Parking and shuttles will be accessible to people with disabilities. Additional accessibility services will include sign language interpreters and a designated low-sensory area.
“Everyone deserves the opportunity to celebrate, connect, and build community,” said Elisabeth Solchick, Spencer Pride vice president and accessibility lead. “As we mark our 20th anniversary, we’re continuing to strengthen accessibility throughout the festival because inclusion only works when everyone can participate.”
After the festival concludes at 7 p.m., visitors 18 and older can continue the celebration at the Spencer Pride After Party in the ballroom of the Spencer Pride commUnity Center, featuring entertainment from Justin Teague.
While the festival officially begins at noon, some activities will start earlier in the day. The complete schedule is available on the Spencer Pride website.
