The city of Rye began a celebration of Pride month in June with a flag raising on Friday, May 31, and the Fourth Annual Pride Celebration in Rye Town Park on Saturday, June 1.
On Friday, Rye High School’s Gay Student Alliance raised the Pride flag in front of the school after the last bell rang. The two flags, as well as a Pride flag at Rye Recreation, will remain raised throughout the month of June, celebrating the local LGBTQIA+ community and supporting a message of inclusion.
The Rye Town Park event included an artist festival, curated by The Rye Arts Center, and a Pride fair under the pavilion. Local organizations, including WJSC Center Lane, The LOFT, pRYDE, Arts Westchester, The Rye Free Reading Room, Rye Presbyterian Church, The Rye Nature Center, and RyeACT provided local LGBTQIA+ support resources, information about the organizations, arts and crafts, and free pride swag.
Local Westchester officials addressed the crowd before the pride flag was raised in Rye Town Park. Kiah Thomas, who works in the Blind Brook Schools, Des’ree’s “You Gotta Be,” whose message “love will save the day” resonated with the crowd of about 100 people.
Photo Alison Rodilosso
Photo Alison Rodilosso
“Life is definitely too short to deprive people of their rights and their happiness, so let’s raise the flag,” said State Assemblyman Steve Otis just before the flag was hoisted over the park.
The party culminated in a Pride parade alongside Anne Cubberly’s giant puppets down the Playland Boardwalk. A few members of the parade stayed for the afterparty on Oakland Beach, which was catered by The Barley Beach House and DJed by Get Down Entertainment.
