Update June 9: The Fun Fair on Friday has been moved to the State College Municipal Building.
State College Pride celebrates its third year this weekend with a three-day slate of new and returning events.
Presented by the Centre LGBTQA Support Network, Downtown State College Improvement District and State College Borough, the festivities kick off with a Fun Fair from 4 to 8 p.m. on Friday in the State College Municipal Building, 243 S. Allen St.
Originally scheduled for Sidney Friedman Park, the fair was moved to the municipal building because of lingering air quality concerns resulting from Canadian forest fires.
The family-friendly fair will feature games and prizes, snacks, a DJ, face painting, a balloon artist, Adam Swartz Puppets and recycled fabric rainbow banners from Ten Thousand Villages.
In conjunction with the fair, The Makery, 123 S. Fraser St., will offer an activity to create a Pride streamer-shaker and 3 Dots, 137 E. Beaver Ave., will host an arts education activity. Tempest Productions, 140 Kelly Alley, will have “Story Book Theatre: Reading the Rainbow” at 4 p.m.
Saturday’s festivities will be the weekend’s biggest draw. The parade gets underway at 3 p.m. from State College Area High School and concludes at Friedman Park, where the State College Pride Festival will follow from approximately 4:30 to 8 p.m.
The festival will feature music be Anchor & Arrow and DJ Elbow Knee Knee, dancing and remarks from several speakers, including parade and festival grand marshal state Rep. Malcolm Kenyatta, who represents District 181 in Philadelphia and is first the first openly-LGBTQ+ person of color to be elected to the Pennsylvania House.
“Having a grand marshal who is actively working to make the changes needed that lead to the protection of LGBTQ+ rights means a great deal to an event like State College Pride,” Cat Cook, Centre LGBTQA executive director, said in a statement. “Pride is not only a time to celebrate the community we love, but also a time to show support, enact advocacy and extend resources to those we serve, their families and the community.”
New this year is a lineup of food trucks that will include Brazilian Munchies, Classic Cones, Rebelz, Savory Station, Juana’s, Warren’s and Auntie Anne’s
State College Pride has grown substantially since its first year in 2021, and Cook expects this year to be the biggest celebration yet.
“Last year’s Pride brought in about 4,000 people in attendance. Already our numbers have grown in just huge amounts,” Cook said at the end of May. “Last year, for instance, by this time we had around 220, maybe 225 people registered for the parade. We are already at 500 just in marchers. That’s not counting the floats and all the motorcycles and bikes and skaters. It’s really amazing. We’re expecting, especially with the addition of the food trucks and other activities, that number to be much higher this year.”
Events on Sunday will include the Pride Alleycat Bike Race starting at 3 p.m. in Sidney Friedman Park and a reading of Jane Chambers’ “Last Summer at Bluefish Cove” at Tempest Productions.
Throughout the month of June, downtown businesses are participating in the Pride Window Display Contest. The Pride Community Art Project, co-sponsored by the Art Alliance of Central Pennsylvania and featuring pieces contributed by community members and organizations, will be on display inside the State College Municipal Building.
More than 50 businesses and organizations and dozens of community members are sponsors of of State College Pride 2023.
“When I get to see us all come together — all of the businesses, organizations and places of faith — to participate in what really is an event and a show of unity and love and support for the LGBT+ community, it means so much to me both in my position with our organization and as the very proud mom of two LGBT+ kids,” Cook said.
Cook added that last year, State College Pride brought visitors from throughout Pennsylvania and out of state.
“Not only is Pride a good event for the local economy but it sends a clear message that CC is a diverse and inclusive place where LGBT+ folks and family are seen, heard and accepted,” she said. “This type of inclusivity benefits not only the LGBT+ community, but all of us as a whole.”
Visit centrelgbtqa.org for additional information on Pride and the network’s initiatives.
STATE COLLEGE PRIDE 2023 SCHEDULE
Friday, June 9
• 4-8 p.m., Pride Fun Fair: Fair at State College Municipal Building, activity at The Makery, activity at 3 Dots, Story Book Theatre at Tempest Productions (4 p.m.)
• 5-7 p.m., Penn Stae Alumni Reception at The Lobby Bar (upstairs from Chumley’s)
• 7 p.m., Pride Shabbat Service at Congregation Brit Shalom
Saturday, June 10
• 11 a.m., Drag Queen Story Hour, featuring Amethyst of PSU Opulence, at 3 Dots
• 3 p.m., Parade
• 5-8 p.m., Festival in Sidney Friedman Park
• 7 p.m., 21+ Pride After Party at Chumley’s, The Lobby and Zeno’s
Sunday, June 11
• 2 p.m., “The Producers” at Mishler Theatre in Altoona
• 3 p.m., Pride Alleycat Bike Race starting at Sidney Friedman Park
• 3 p.m., Reading of Jane Chambers’ “Last Summer at Bluefish Cove” at Tempest Productions.
