Just before the Pride Flag rose over Wilkes-Barre’s Public Square, the crowd gathered learned that the city will hold its first Pride Parade later this month.
They greeted the announcement from NEPA Rainbow Alliance board member Holly Pilcavage with a round of applause.
“It’s very exciting,” Pilcavage said. “Come out, volunteer, walk in the parade… it’s going to be an incredible day.”
Members of the NEPA Rainbow Alliance and Queer NEPA gathered on Public Square Thursday morning to mark the start of Pride Month and watch as the rainbow Pride Flag rose up the city’s flagpole.
Wilkes-Barre city council member Tony Brooks said seeing the Pride Flag flying over his city made him feel proud to be a “Wilkes-Barrian.”
“I'm so glad that Wilkes-Barre not only elected me, but the fact that we can raise this flag every year,” he said. “I'm really proud of that.”
Pride Parade
Holding an official Pride Parade in Wilkes-Barre was “the dream” for NEPA Rainbow Alliance, Pilcavage said. They’ve held large Pride events before, like PrideFest in Kirby park, but never a parade like ones held in other Pennsylvania cities.
When the group spoke with Wilkes-Barre city mayor George Brown about the idea, they received an “immediate yes.”
“Which felt really exciting and good … for it not to be a difficult thing to get a ‘yes,’ for,” Pilcavage said.
The Wilkes-Barre parade will take place on Sunday, June 26. Pride parades and large events traditionally revolve around the last weekend of June, close to the anniversary of the Stonewall rebellion in New York City on June 28, 1969.
Pilcavage said groups or individuals can sign up to walk in the parade. They will line up at 11 a.m. on the day of the parade and step off into downtown Wilkes-Barre around noon.
The parade will lead to Public Square where vendors, organizations and performers will be waiting to continue the celebration.
“It's shaping up to be really exciting, and I think we're going to have an incredible turnout,” Pilcavage said.
The celebration on the square will end around 5 p.m., Pilcavage said, but surrounding bars, restaurants and businesses have specials planned to “keep the party going.”
Pilcavage said holding a Pride parade achieves a significant goal for the NEPA Rainbow Alliance’s mission.
“I think it allows people to celebrate their identity and let them be proud of who they are, during this really exciting celebration and parade down to the celebration on public square, and have them be surrounded by people that they love and are embraced by,” she said. “I think that goes a long way.”
