Watertown to host LGBTQ Pride events for fifth year

Craig Fox, Watertown Daily Times, N.Y.
·2 min read
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Jun. 15—WATERTOWN — Pride returns to the city with a variety of events and activities starting on Friday afternoon.

It's the fifth year that Watertown will celebrate LGBTQ Pride.

Jess Leigh, a member of the LGBTQ community, is looking forward to getting together and having fun.

"There's no happier group than Gays and their allies," she said.

Previously, she's attended other Pride events in Watertown and now volunteers to help plan them.

She's proud that "all of Watertown" shows its love and acceptance of the LGBTQ community over the weekend.

This year's celebration begins with a Pride Kickoff Party at the Paddock Club from 3 to 8 p.m. Friday.

Also on Friday, the Amber Sky Drag Queen will perform at 8 p.m. at the Faichney Dive Business Complex for one show only. It's the only ticketed event of the weekend. She and four other drag queens also will perform a traveling show at five local bars at 9 p.m. Saturday.

A big crowd is again expected to turn out for a Pride flag raising at 9 a.m. Saturday in front of City Hall, 245 Washington St.

Mark Irwin, an organizer for Watertown Pride, says hundreds are expected to show their support for the flag raising.

"It's traditionally our best attended event," he said.

The Color Run will start at the Honor the Mountain Monument at 12:30 p.m. Saturday in Thompson Park.

Food trucks, face painting, DJ music, a beer tent and kids games will be held during an "Out in the Park" party from noon to 3 p.m. A kids drag story time will be held at 2 p.m. in the park.

The Alex T. Duffy Fairgrounds will be lit up with fireworks at 10:30 p.m. Saturday.

The weekend concludes with a Tea Dance from 2 to 5 p.m. Sunday at Garland City Beer Works, 321 Hawk St.

The Gay Pride weekend is sponsored by Planned Parenthood of the North Country and five other sponsors.