The 4th annual Pocono Pride Festival hit Monroe County today.

Courthouse Square in Stroudsburg was packed with people and vendors, something Mayor of Stroudsburg, Michael Moreno couldn’t imagine when they got this started years ago.

“You know, 5 years ago when 5 LGBTQ community members met at a hotdog shop, we asked ourselves is there a need for the LGBTQ business council? and clearly!” he said, gesturing at the crowds behind him.

This year had 4 to 5 thousand attendees, over 50 vendors, and 22 performers.

Moreno said they are improving the festival every year from feedback and this year they brought on more LGBTQ artists like Chelsea Lyn Meyer, who is based out of LeHigh Valley.

“We’re really getting into events like this and it’s just really neat to be involved like the entire thing and the crowd and the people and really absorbing it," said Lyn Meyer. "It’s awesome.”

FOX56 also spoke to organizations working for LGBTQ rights like the Eastern PA Trans Equity Project, an organization that supports trans kids..

“Being able to reach out to community that are so often underserved, and they are really appreciative of just knowing that whether an organization like ours, a non-profit or a business that they have safe places to go," said Corrine Goodwin, Executive Director of the Eastern PA Trans Equity Project.

They are working with groups like the Human Rights Campaign to pass the fairness act in Pennsylvania, the only state in the northeast without it.

“Plenty of stories of people who are denied housing because they are trans or being fired for their job for being LGBTQ," said Ryan Matthews, PA state Director of the Humans Right Campaign. "The fairness act would give Pennsylvanians protections in state law against situations like that.”

Moreno said as the town’s first gay mayor, he hopes to continue representing the area well.

“Seeing the affect in other people’s faces is what really makes a strong impact," said Moreno.