Southern Finger Lakes Pride Festival coming to Corning
CORNING, N.Y. (WETM) — The Southern Finger Lakes (SoFLX) Pride Festival is returning to Corning this Saturday and promises to be bigger than ever before.
SoFLX Pride will take over Market Street, Centerway Square, and Riverfront Park on June 8. Some special events are scheduled for the night before the festival during Twas the Night Before Pride and a drag brunch will take place on June 9. This is the fifth year Corning has hosted Pride, and the festival’s theme this year is “Taking Up Space.” According to SoFLX Pride, this year’s theme represents the organization’s commitment to honoring strides toward equality and inclusivity.
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“SoFLX Pride’s efforts make the community stronger not by focusing on needs but by valuing and supporting the gifts of LGBTQIA2S+ folks, especially youth, in towns around the Finger Lakes,” said SoFLX Board Chair Troy Smythe. “Five years ago, SoFLX Pride brought the strong and joyful spirit, historically associated with PRIDE, to our region with a hometown touch, inviting all to find strength and joy in our relationships with each other and our allies.”
Pride weekend will kick off with a Pride flag raising in Centerway Square at 6 p.m. on June 7, and there will be plenty to do in Downtown Corning before and after the flag goes up. There will be art exhibits and artist talks starting at 5 p.m., drag bingo at the Quincy Exchange from 5:30 p.m. until 7:30 p.m., a dance party with Pride merch for sale in Centerway Square from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m., and another dance party for those aged 21 and older at VOLO from 8 p.m. until 1 a.m.
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The festival starts at 11 a.m. on Saturday. More than 60 local vendors, artisans, businesses, and non-profits will line Market Street from the start of the festival until 4 p.m. Musicians and drag queens will perform on the festival’s main stage from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. Festival activities will include line dancing workshops, hooping demonstrations, free movies at the Palace Theatre, and more. Adults will also be able to take part in a craft-beverage-tasting garden in Riverfront Park. The festival will end at 5 p.m. with a community dance party in the park.
The last event during Corning’s Pride weekend will be a drag brunch at the Quincy Exchange from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Sunday. Proceeds from the brunch will benefit SoFLX Pride. Additionally, purchasing cocktails or mocktails at the Cellar, Liquid Shoes, the Quincy Exchange, and VOLO all weekend will support the organization.
More information about SoFLX Pride’s celebration and a full schedule of events is available on the SoFLX website.
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