New Hope-Lambertville Beams With Pride On A Rainy, Overcast Day

NEW HOPE, PA — It was a rainy parade from Lambertville to New Hope Saturday morning, but the heavy overcast and wet streets didn’t stop the pride from shining.

From Main Street in Lambertville to Main Street in New Hope the riverfront communities beamed with colorful rays of pride as community groups, organizations, businesses, politicians and others celebrated the gay, lesbian, transgender, bisexual and queer communities in an amazing show of love, support and acceptance.

Despite the rainy morning, thousands jammed the parade route in the riverfront communities to help New Hope Celebrates mark the 20th anniversary of PrideFest, which is now part of a month-long celebration in the riverfront communities highlighted by a Pride Parade and Fair.

The 100-foot-by-100-foot Rainbow Equity Flag makes the turn from Bridge onto Main in New Hope Borough.

PHOTOGRAPHS BY JEFF WERNER

All along the parade route, which stepped off in New Jersey and ended in Pennsylvania, parade watchers and participants waved rainbow flags and cheered as occasional bursts of confetti filled the air.

Volunteers carried a giant 100-foot-by-100-foot Rainbow Equality Flag radiating in eight colors through the streets of Lambertville, across the free bridge and through the streets of New Hope.

Hair Couture at 52 North Union in Lambertville encouraged everyone to “Bring out your inner Alice” with a float celebrating Alice in Wonderland.” Another float shared the simple message, “Be You.”

Boomer from the Trenton Thunder was there greeting the crowd. And local politicians joined the march including State Senator Steve Santarsiero, Bucks County Commissioner Diane Ellis-Marseglia, State Rep. Tim Brennan and State Rep. Perry Warren.

The Queer Big Apple Corps Marching Band and the Philadelphia Freedom Band had everyone dancing in the streets and waving their flags.

Balloons with Flair filled the streets with balloon creations while other floats featured Peace Pie, Lilly, Merck, Capital Health, and NBC Universal.

(Photographs by Jeff Werner)

Other floats and marchers included Cheer Philadelphia, New Hope Arts, PFLAG Bucks County, Music Mountain Theatre, William Way, the PA Liberty Belles, the Free Library of New Hope-Solebury, Hunterdon Unitarians, The Lawrenceville School, Animal Alliance, the Human Rights Campaign, St. Paul’s Episcopal Church among others.

Founded two decades ago in 2003, NHC is a non-profit organization on a mission of bringing people together to share in a celebration of inclusivity, creativity, diversity, and sustainability in New Hope and Lambertville. NHC’s team of volunteers has grown Pride from a one-day event to a month long PrideFest.

In 2005, NHC created OUT in October to honor National Gay History Month featuring the High Heel Drag Race and other fall events. Their programs, such as the Artist & Author Series, book clubs, tea dances, heritage months, and many other events throughout the calendar year contribute to their vision of a society free from prejudice, discrimination and hate.

For more about PrideFest and New Hope Celebrates, click here.

(Photographs by Jeff Werner)