NASHUA, N.H. – Nashua hosted a parade and festival Saturday to celebrate Pride Month. The parade followed a new route from the Soldiers and Sailors Monument up Amherst Street and ended at Holman Stadium, where the Pride Festival was held.
More than a dozen local groups and many individuals marched in celebration of the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer (LGBTQ+) community, with the goal of promoting visibility, dignity and equal rights.
Pride has its roots in the 1969 Stonewall uprising, a series of demonstrations against police oppression of gay bars in New York City. Those protests are widely regarded as the beginning of the gay liberation movement in the United States.
The Downtown Nashua Association, in partnership with the Pride Empowerment Network, organized and hosted this year’s Pride festival. Organizers said more than 2,700 people attended the afternoon-long event.
There were performances throughout the day, and more than 50 vendors offered LGBTQIA+ resources and activities around the outfield of the ballpark. Big Gay Events brought 10 drag performers to Nashua for shows at the festival and around downtown.
“We couldn’t have been happier with the turnout of over 2,500 people, especially as we moved the event to this new venue at Holman Stadium,” Downtown Nashua Association Executive Director Alyssa O’Mara said. “It was so moving to see families and groups of friends spread out on the grass and picnic tables, lingering longer, playing yard games and enjoying the music. The sense of connection was truly unforgettable. Thank you to everyone who helped make this day so special in Nashua.”
New Hampshire Outright was selected as the beneficiary organization for the Pride event proceeds. The group’s Nashua chapter, which marked its one-year anniversary in April, provides support and resources for LGBTQIA+ youth across the region.
