NEWPORT NEWS, Va. — This weekend, for the first time ever, the City of Newport News hosted a pride festival, kicking off the first weekend of Pride Month.
Dozens let the good times roll at Tradition Brewing Company, where all were welcomed to celebrate the city's very first "I Am What I Am Pride Festival."
"It just feels good, everybody coming together as one," said Lauren Bennett.
Live music, performances, and entertainment are just part of the reason why Bennett traveled from Norfolk to Newport News for the event.
Bennett said she's always been confident in her identity.
"You are who you are," she said.
Organizers like Corey Moreno said he pushed for a Pride festival in the city for months to have a groundbreaking initiative to celebrate the LGBTQ community.
"I noticed that Newport News didn't have anything like this around, and so it started off reaching out to Hampton Roads Pride, reaching out to sponsors, and seeing if anybody would join," said Moreno.
Moreno told News 3 two proclamationswere sent to Newport News Mayor Philip Jones, and were approved just days before the city's first pride event.
"I, Philip D. Jones, Mayor of the City of Newport News, hereby proclaim June 2023 as Pride Month in the City of Newport News," said Jones.
More than 40 vendors, artists, and food trucks came out, including the youngest in our community.
Those attending like Daryl Jones say this event goes beyond fun, it's personal for him.
"I've been marginalized before and you feel really hurt. But I had people close to me and they helped me out when it happened," said Daryl Jones.
Families said this Pride event is about solidarity and unity.
"Knowing that you can do this in a public setting in the middle of the day, along time ago we couldn't do it and here we are now," said David Hanshaw.
There were plenty of happy people at the festival, but attendees said this Pride festival is important now more than ever because of anti-LGBTQ bills that have been introduced in Republican-led states.
"We're really trying to be very inclusive of all of our community," said Moreno.
Pride leaders told News 3 the goal is to also raise money for Hampton Roads Pride so they can continue to make this festival an annual event.
