By Shelby Stewart-Soldan
Staff Writer
Ortonville— From 11 a.m.-4 p.m., on June 3, Ortonville will be home to the second annual Abigail’s Pride festival.
“It depends who you ask, but Pride is a celebration of the LGBTQ community, but also everyone. Allies and families,” said Abigail’s Pride founder Abigail Rowe.
“And for us, for Abigail’s Pride, we wanted to make sure it was about feeling safe and supported no matter who you are, especially for families and kids. Most Pride festivals are a big party, we made sure we have lots of stuff for teens and young kids.”
The parade will begin at 11 a.m., at the corner of Ball and Cedar streets, then continue down Ball Street to Church Street to Mill Street to South Street, then ending right before Davis Alley. Mill Street and South Street will remain closed for the event.
From 11 a.m,-4 p.m., there will be carnival games and plenty of teen-and-kid friendly entertainment. There will also be free face painting, rock painting and chalk art. Last year, approximately 2,500 people attended, and there are twice as many vendors involved this year.
“I remember when I first started, my teacher at the high school was asking me about it,” said Rowe, a Brandon High School junior. “I had first announced it on Instagram, and I immediately got backlash from some kids. And he said the fact that I got so much backlash was a sign we needed it here the most. I think the LGBTQ families here might struggle more, and the kdis need to know that they have support here.”
Rowe founded Abigail’s Pride in December of 2021 after having a conversation with her mom about wishing someone would host a Pride festival here in Ortonville. The project started as her Gold Award project for girl scouts, which she received after the 2022 festival.
“Thank you,” said Rowe. “The event last year was such a big success, and it showed me and other teenagers that there is a supportive community for them here.”
For more information, visit abigailspride.com or Abigail’s Pride on Facebook and Instagram.