MVCC to host Oneida County Pride Festival June 3

The Oneida County Pride Festival will be held from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday, June 3, 2023, at Mohawk Valley Community College’s Utica Campus, 1101 Sherman Drive. The event will be held outdoors in the campus quad (rain location will be the Alumni College Center Commons). All are welcome, and admission is free.

The festival, sponsored by the MVCC LGBTQ+ Workgroup and the Oneida County Pride Association, is a family-friendly event that provides an opportunity to celebrate and learn about the local LGBTQIA+ community. It will feature music, speakers, artists, and vendors. A Pride Walk around the campus will take place at 11 a.m.

Designed as a community celebration and visibility event, Oneida County Pride is part of a weekend of festivities to kick off Pride Month. Other weekend events include:

Thursday, June 1:
  • Movie: “Milk” — 7 p.m., Rome Capitol Theater, 220 W. Dominick St., Rome; part of the theater’s Pride Month Film Series presented by SAGE Upstate and the Oneida County Pride Association. Admission is $8. Find more information and purchase tickets.
Friday, June 2:
  • Pride Flag Raising Ceremony — 10 a.m., Utica City Hall, 1 Kennedy Plaza, Utica.
  • Drag Story Hour — 8:30 p.m., Treehouse Reading and Arts Center, 587 Main St. Suite 304, New York Mills. Makenzie Taylor will read “T’was the Night Before Pride.”
Saturday, June 3:
  • Pride Drag Show — 8 p.m. (doors open at 7:30), Uptown Theatre, 2014 Genesee St., Utica; presented by the Uptown Theatre for Creative Arts and the Oneida County Pride Association. For ages 21 and older. Admission is $10 in advance, $15 on the day of the event. Find more information and tickets. 

About Pride Month

Pride Month is celebrated every June to commemorate the Stonewall Riots of 1969, which paved the way for the modern gay rights movement. It is a time to recognize the contributions of lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender individuals and promote and preserve the history and well-being of the LGBTQIA+ community. Pride events are critical to providing visibility and fostering a supportive, inclusive community.