By Christina Chakarboole, Bill Walcott and Marili Baca, Rochester Democrat and Chronicle | Rochester Democrat and Chronicle
Rochester residents showed their support Saturday by turning out in droves at the Rochester Pride Parade and Festival.
The celebration of LGBTQ life was the most well-attended event ever, with organizers saying more than 250 marchers and tens of thousands of people took to the streets. The parade itself lasted more than two hours.
Rochester residents went all out in curating their Pride costumes. Emily Dyson, who has attended Rochester Pride every year since moving to the city three years ago, stood radiant in a sequined cowgirl outfit alongside the parade. For her, Pride is about celebrating queerness and self-expression.
“Honestly, [Pride] “It means everything,” said Dyson, elated to see participants feeling free to be themselves. “It means there’s a place for people like us.”
Dyson said the parade’s new route along South Avenue is a welcome change.
“This is the best year we’ve had so far,” Dyson said. “It’s a lot more open than it used to be. I love the shade.”
Demonstrators used the parade to highlight the plight of Palestinians. “Do not be proud of genocide,” they chanted.
Then two men with megaphones warned of God’s wrath and that all present were sinners, but their voices were largely ignored.
Here’s everything you need to know about Saturday’s fun celebration:
After a rousing DJ set, festival headliner Nina Sky took to the Highland Park stage, with the crowd swaying, cheering and waving Pride flags to the duo’s upbeat R&B tunes.
Festival-goers are sprawled out across the venue, many lounging with drinks and dancing to the thumping beats of the show.
Jugglers, flag twirlers, DJs, drag kings and queens, local politicians and their supporters, and other marchers arrived at Beirut City Park for the Pride Festival. The parade is over, but the party continues with food stalls, drag performances and music.
Love is love: Video from the 2024 Pride Parade in Rochester, New York
Check out the sights and sounds of the 2024 Rochester Pride Parade & Festival.
As the parade enters its second hour, the sun is beating down on South Avenue, with marchers making the most of the shady spots. Some cool off under trees, while others watch the floats from covered bus stops. Despite the heat, spirits remain high as marchers make their way to Beirut Park for the Pride Festival.
Jameela Simmons incorporated Pride into every aspect of her look, from her rainbow sparkly eye makeup to her rainbow soles. Simmons said Pride is a time to celebrate self-love.
“I came out seven years ago and am living my best life,” Simmons said. “It’s important to love yourself first.”
Rochester Pride Parade: Massive turnout in support of LGBTQ rights
Footage from the 2024 Rochester Pride Parade and Festival, one of the most joyous celebrations of the year.
The festivities continue along South Avenue as parade-goers cheer on the floats and marchers, with groups yelling “Happy Pride” to each other every few seconds as queer pop anthems play, including Chapel Lawn’s fun, infectious rendition of “Hot To Go!”
Three young attendees, Elise Tonovitz, Leila Faber and Liza DeLuce, attended Pride to have fun, be with friends and soak up “positive energy.”
“It’s really amazing to see so many people here,” said DeLuce, who took part in her first Pride parade this year. “It’s such a diverse community.”
Paul Meier, who was there to support his family, watched from the grass sideline with a Pride hat and flag.
“[Pride] “It brings people together and makes everyone happy,” Mia said.
The parade begins, with floats and marchers moving slowly down Science Parkway with energy and excitement. Groups hang out on the sidelines waiting their turn, music blares, and participants chat and dance.
Many parade participants march with supporting businesses and organizations, including Cheryl Hayward and Ebony Burgess, who participated for the third year in a row in a celebration of inclusion with the Monroe County Office of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion.
“This is exactly how you can do that. [at Pride]” Heyward said.
Crowds have gathered along South Avenue on a warm Saturday morning, many seeking a coveted spot in the shade, in anticipation of the 2024 Rochester Pride Parade. Parade-goers of all ages have come together in all sorts of Pride gear, from flags and umbrellas to tassel skirts and bucket hats, to witness the pinnacle event of Rochester Pride Month.
As upbeat music blares down South Avenue, a procession of themed costumed drag performers and other parade participants makes their way down Science Parkway for the 11 a.m. parade start.
One attendee, Malachi Wonderland, sat on a sunny sidewalk and wrote “You are loved” in chalk. This year marked Wonderland’s first openly transgender Pride. [he] “takes.”
“I’ve waited 37 years and pushed myself into a corner to become the man I was meant to be,” Wonderland said. “I don’t think any kid should have to endure that.”
The festival begins at 11 a.m. in Highland Park (the same time as the parade) and features games, vendors, food trucks and live music until 6 p.m.
Tickets are required to attend the festival, with general admission costing $5 and VIP admission costing $50 (includes bar, lounge and private restroom trailer). Children under 12 are free. No dogs or backpacks allowed.
The event’s musical headliner will be twin sister duo Nina Sky, who fuse R&B, dancehall, reggaeton, hip hop and pop influences. The duo found huge success in 2004 when their song “Move Ya Body” became a Billboard Hot 100 hit. Audiences can also expect to hear music from DJ Citizen Jane, Ethan Souza, Kaylin Servini, Adrienne Mac Davis and Stunt Double. Multiple drag performances will captivate the festival’s stages, including alumni of RuPaul’s Drag Race and Miss and Mr. Gay Pride Rochester.
Meatball Truck Company, Neno’s Gourmet and Wraps on Wheels are some of the food trucks taking part in the festival.
Drivers are asked to avoid parking on neighborhood streets along the parade route, and organizers encourage carpooling.
Paid parking is available at the following two locations:
Al Sigur Center (1000 Elmwood Ave.) — $5. Grass lot between Al Sigur Center and Meadowbrook Road — $5.
Lilac Adventure Zone (249 Highland Ave.) has free handicapped parking.
The shuttle will run non-stop between Highland Avenue and Science Parkway from 12:45 to 7 p.m.
Pride in Rochester dates back to May 1971, when about 300 protesters participated in a sit-in (which they called a “gay-in”) in Genesee Valley Park.
The city has been hosting a Pride Picnic since July 1972. This year’s picnic, held on July 13, marked the kickoff of Pride Week in Rochester.
Rochester’s first Pride parade was held on East Main Street on June 28, 1989, the 20th anniversary of the Stonewall riots in New York City. Organizers moved the parade to Park Avenue in 1991, where it was held every year until this year.
In 1996, the adjacent Pride Festival was added to the celebration, held in various locations around Rochester.
The 2024 Pride Parade has been moved from its longtime location on Park Avenue to South Avenue this year.
Organizers say that’s due in part to the success of last year’s event, which drew more than 15,000 participants and more than 200 marching groups, as well as paving work along Park Avenue.
The parade will begin on Science Parkway and travel north on South Avenue to Bakerch Park (1440 South Ave.) in Highland Park.
