Brooklynites, food vendors, small businesses and parade floats filled a half-mile stretch of Park Slope’s 5th Avenue to celebrate LGBTQ+ pride this Saturday.
From 11:00am until 5:00pm, the Brooklyn Pride Festival and Mainstage brought together crowds of people sporting rainbow flags and smiling faces. Between Union Street and 9th Street, food vendors lined the closed-down Fifth Avenue. Mouth-watering aromas billowed from their grills and fryers as they dished out foods like mayo-smothered elote and speared potato twists to hungry festival-goers.
One block over on 4th Street, musicians and dancers took over a small stage and entertained crowds meandering between intermittent drops of rain. Some of the performers included Ships in the Night, Alise King and Jack Tracy.
In the evening, the streets cleared along with the rain clouds to make way for the parade at 7:30.
During the parade, colorful groups of rainbow-clad Brooklynites danced and strutted down the street, including marchers from the Brooklyn Community Pride Center dressed as unicorns!
Each elaborate, music-bumping float emanated its own unique vibe.
Nearing the end of the parade, an actual rainbow broke through the parted clouds and spread across the sky. Its surprise appearance over the Brooklyn Pride Parade seemed more than fitting.
“I feel full of love,” said one parade watcher named Candy. “It feels so good to just be.”
Another spectator named Vlada said that she felt “lots of safety and acceptance” at the event.
Although Brooklyn Pride wrapped up on June 12, there are still more pride events to come. New York City’s annual PrideFest and pride march will happen June 26 in Manhattan.
