Augusta Pride Shows Out In Big Numbers
Record turnout for ‘Pride Parade’ and vendors
AUGUSTA, Ga. (WRDW/WAGT) - Augusta held its 12th annual ‘Pride Festival’ this weekend. Two thousand more people than last year showed up, for a total of over 14,000.
Brittany Mortan who was at Augusta Commons said, “You always got a voice, you’ve always got somebody to lean on, like, we understand you no matter what.”
People from out of town could also recognize Augusta’s transformation into a safe space. Shane Williams came from Charlotte, North Carolina, “I’ve been to Augusta in 2021 and I loved it. The pride parade and the events were exciting and I wanted to come back to support this.” Jeremiah Harmon, who performed on stage, came down all the way from Baltimore, Maryland, “It’s really nice to come out and see what it’s like in Augusta, it’s my first time.”
This turnout created Augusta’s biggest ‘Pride Parade’, with over 800 people participating in the morning.
Former president and current Budget Director of Augusta Pride, James Mintz, said, “We may be two days out of the year, but we’re offering resources that are available 365 days out of the year.”
While it may have only lasted two days, it’s planning that’s been a work in progress since January. Over 110 vendors were spread across Broad Street and the Commons, which is the most the festival has ever had.
Williana Lacy said, “I’m trying to be me, I like to be happy, free, me-er, I’ve never really cared what people thought. So, we proud.”
This is still coming off of 2020 when the festival had to be shut down, but despite this, people were back in droves this year.
Lucy Dreams, an Augusta native who performed for the first time at Pride this year said, “Just keep celebrating who you are and being honest and true about that, it’s honestly the best that you can do.”
Copyright 2022 WRDW/WAGT. All rights reserved.