Image courtesy of Tower Grove Pride
Tower Grove Pride is back! Founded in 2012, the community-centered LGBTQ+ festival was on hiatus last year and pushed from summer into autumn this year. But the wait is over this Saturday.
“We attract people who thrive on self-expression and a lot of folks who are also extroverts—and it’s been a very hard time!” says Tower Grove Pride organizer and co-founder Michael Powers. “Sometimes, you know, that ability to be extroverted, to be self-affirming, it only happens at prides: There’s a context where I’m not a freak; I’m not judged; I’m loved.”
The LGBTQ+ community and allies can feel the love in Tower Grove Park at a bigger and more diffuse festival. “We’ve always worked to create an environment that was welcoming and safe for our LGBTQ+ community and allies, and then there was this other layer of public health,” Powers says. Masks are encouraged, and booths and performances will be set up to allow for distancing.
The Red & Black Brass Band starts the party with a march through the festival grounds beginning at 11 a.m. Three stages—at Cypress Circle, Sons of Rest Pavilion, and the Stupp Amphitheatre—feature music, drag, and other performances throughout the day. Expect food, a mobile roller disco, boozy rainbow slushies, an all-ages disco bounce house, and more.
Image courtesy of Tower Grove Pride
Another upside to the event is the economic aspect. Performers have been especially impacted during a long 18 months at home, as have local operations and makers who rely on festival exposure and direct engagement. The more than 30 local performers and 250 vendors can’t wait to see festival attendees again.
A curated group of 75 nonprofits will be at Tower Grove Pride, too. Powers notes that many people have recalibrated during the pandemic, both in terms of working style and a desire to contribute more; nonprofits can be a great outlet for seeking community and the impulse to give back.
The Practice Kindness Picnic Grove features 100 light-but-warm blankets with waterproofing on one side. Borrow one for a picnic; then, when the weather gets cold, the blankets will be donated to unhoused people across the region.
The festival runs Saturday from 11 a.m.–6 p.m. in Tower Grove Park. Admission is free.
