Kick off New England’s Pride Season in Northampton
Pride Day, Northampton | Photo by Transit Authority Figures
We’re full of pride all year round in Hampshire County, but the sparks really fly the first weekend of May every year when Northampton’s Annual LGBT Pride Day kicks off Pride season in New England.
This year the 33rd Annual Noho Pride Day happens on Saturday, May 3 beginning with its iconic parade that steps off at noon to march through Downtown Northampton. The parade consists of many diverse organizations, school groups, musicians, local businesses and many other participants and there’s no cost to participate. The parade marches to the historic Three County Fair Grounds where the celebration and entertainment continue til 5 p.m. where over 18,000 people gather for dancing, eating, shopping learning, socializing and enjoying the freedom to celebrate who they are.
During Pride Weekend, take in all that Northampton has to offer, from award-winning brunches to independent shops. Northampton’s newest store is Hero Men’s Gear which was born out of the desire to provide a place for men to shop and shop for men. Hero will have a grand opening event with special discounts and giveaways on Saturday, May 3 coinciding with Pride, during open hours 10 a.m. to 7 p.m.
This year, you can pair the Pride events with another edition of the Sexual Minorities Archives LGBTQ history walking tour of Northampton on Sunday, May 4 at 2 p.m. Journey Through Lesbian Mecca is a 2.5 hour walking tour that includes 50 stops concentrated in a three-mile area in and around downtown Northampton. Many of the locations were sites of organizations and businesses in the 1970s through early 2000s that helped shape the LGBTQ community’s emergence in the area and the city to establish its national reputation as a welcoming place for LGBTQs. The tour will also cover sites as old in history as 1899, and spaces owned or operated by LGBTQ people today.
Past and present locations with LGBTQ histories will be visited and discussed, such as The Egg, The Common Womon Club, Greasy Gorgon Garage, Ye Rose Tree Inn, Hover House, Womonfyre Books, Pulaski Park, Gala Bar, the Grotto, Green Street Cafe, Dyke Dorms, and more. Even sites of lesbian graffiti in the city will be covered, and the tour will swing through locations on the Smith College campus, too. If you can’t make it during Pride weekend, the tour will be offered several times throughout the year. Those who wish to reserve a place or get more information may email sexualminorities.archives@yahoo.com or call 413-584-7616.