Overview:
The sixth annual Rye pRYEde event was held at Rye Town Park, featuring an art fair, musical performances, a flag ceremony, and a parade. The event was a joint effort between Rye City and Rye Town, and included over 30 vendors and community organizations. The celebration was a way of showing support and celebrating the LGBTQ+ community, with local officials and community members attending. A pledge was dedicated to the pride flag, and a parade was held around the park pavilions.
By Claire Curran
The sixth annual Rye pRYEde event took place Saturday afternoon in Rye Town Park. Attendees browsed pride-themed stalls with over 30 vendors and community organizations as a musical group played a rendition of Shrek the Musical’s hit song “Freak Flag.”
Though in the past Rye City and Rye Town have held separate Pride celebrations, this year’s celebration was a joint effort. Another key difference was the live performance. Past pRYEd events have represented the arts through painted murals. This year is the first without a mural, and a musical group.
“Whether you’re a student who’s just recently come out, whether you’re a parent who’s supporting your LGBTQ+ child, whether you’re an adult in our community who transitioned 50 years ago, five years ago, or is just starting to question your identity, this is our way of telling you you belong here, we see you, you belong here, and we celebrate you,” said Amanda Timcheck, one of the five co-founders of Rye pRYEde.
State Senator Shelly Mayor and Assemblyman Steve Otis sent their regards, and a number of local officials including Rye Town Supervisor Gary Zuckerman, Rye Brook Mayor Jason Klein, Port Chester Mayor Luis Marino, and City of Rye Mayor Josh Nathan attended the event.
Josh Nathan said about his decision to merge the City of Rye’s pride with the town event, “We [the City of Rye] do this little event in city hall, and [since] there’s this other event here, [we thought] let’s combine with them, maybe they’ll welcome us in to be partners, because this is an event about being together, and being supportive of each other.”
We’ve made so much progress as a society, and we celebrate this day and we welcome everyone. But of course we know that there are those that want to roll back progress, there are those that don’t want us to have this holiday, and our answer is to keep having it. We must keep having it, it’s why we–the city–partenered with all of you. We’re all in the same community together.”
Josh Nathan was followed by Pastor Jim O’Hanlan of St. Paul’s Lutheran Church, who dedicated a pledge to the pride flag. “I pledge allegiance to this flag of the multicolor states of human expression, and to the diversity for which it stands.”
At the end of the ceremony, a pride flag was unfurled from the top of the pavilion. A DJ queued songs as attendees and local officials marched in a short parade around the Rye Town Park pavilions. The paraders were headed by a pair of colorful bird puppets who flapped with the music.
As the marchers looped back around, Congressman Geroge Latimer arrived to show his support. Attendees waved flags and danced in the center to show their pRYEde.
Enjoy the photos and video:
