BY COURTNEY
Town Point Park holds the biggest PrideFest gathering in the state. The event, starting out as a small community picnic in 1988, has grown to a 30,000-attendee festival for the entire state to enjoy. I raises awareness about LGBTQ issues and performs service for the community in the form of scholarships. As of 2019, Hampton Roads Pride, the organization responsible for PrideFest, had awarded over $60,000 in scholarships.1 Pride festivals are held in many cities throughout the country, but it is no shock that Hampton Roads PrideFest is the most popular in Virginia and Norfolk’s largest one-day festival, since the city is home of the largest naval base in the world and is the birthplace of Our Own, Norfolk’s gay newspaper from 1976 – 1998.
Hampton Roads PrideFest is also unique for its boat parade — the only one in the country. This family friendly event has grown into a weeklong celebration leading up to the big day at Town Point Park that includes fashion shows, dance parties, and art shows showcasing the community’s rich LGBTQ+ culture. PrideFest itself is a full day of vendors, musical entertainment, and family activities.
- https://hamptonroadspride.org/scholarship/ ↩
