POUGHKEEPSIE – The Dutchess County Pride Center is hosting the PK Pride Parade on Saturday in Poughkeepsie. Lineup begins at 11:00 a.m. on Market Street near the Bardavon.
The Grand Marshall is award-winning comedian Lea DeLaria, considered to be the first openly gay comic to appear on national television.
The award-winning comic will join with local leaders including Poughkeepsie Common Council Chairperson Sarah Salem to celebrate the Lesbian, Bisexual, Gay, Transgender, and Queer (LGBTQ) movement that began with the Stonewall Riot in 1969.
“We’re still celebrating the activism that occurred in 1969,” said Salem at a recent council meeting. Salem identifies as a “very proud queer transgender individual,” and is encouraging people to attend the event to celebrate diversity.
The parade is scheduled to step off at noon, heading down Main Street, ending at Waryas Park, on the shore of the Hudson River.
There will be a contest for decorated vehicles with prizes for the most creative, most colorful, and funniest vehicles. Due to social-distancing protocols, there is no official festival at the park this year. The Pride Center has indicated that some participants are planning to picnic in the park while others will head to Beacon to participate in the Beacon Queer and Transliberation March.
Additional information can be found here.
