For a relatively small city (population about 30,000), idyllic and collegiate Northampton enjoys one of the larger and more enthusiastic Gay Pride events in the country. The 28th Annual Northampton LGBT Pride March & Rally takes place in early May (Saturday, May 2, in 2009) and draws the many lesbians and gays living in Northampton and neighboring towns in Massachusetts' verdant Pioneer Valley, as well as plenty of folks from elsewhere in the state as well as neighboring New York, Connecticut, Vermont, and New Hampshire. Here's a look at some of the key activities that made up Northampton Gay Pride:
Northampton Gay Pride takes place at noon on Saturday, with a Pride Parade running from Lampron Park along Bridge Street, which becomes Main Street, and ending at, at 12:45, at the site of the Pride Rally behind the gay-popular Thornes Marketplace shopping mall on Main Street. The rally lasts until 5 pm and the Pride Rally grounds are at Hampton Ave. and Armory St., right next to the parking garage behind Thornes, and a short walk from downtown Northampton's many charming shops and restaurants
The rally will feature a variety of entertainers and speakers this year and also has a "Kids Zone" to keep youngsters engaged (and this is one part of the world with a sizable community of LGBT families). Among the headliners, you'll hear a proclamation from Northampton's mayor, and see such performers at Girl Gang, Arjuna Greist, Jesse Molina band, Emily Nyman, a drag king/drag queen contest, Tomas, the Pioneer Valley Gay Men's Chorus, Nedra Johnson, Sister Funk, and Jonathan Mendelsohn. Here are extensive bios of this year's Northampton Pride performers.
Of course, additionally, plenty of gay-popular restaurants, hotels, and shops will be extra busy during the weekend, and catering heavily to LGBT visitors. Check local gay papers, such as the Northampton Pride sponsor The Rainbow Times, which also produces a downloadable NoHo Pride Visitor and Resource Guide. You can also find some GLBT info on the area at the The New England Blade (formerly Innewsweekly) web site. And also be sure to drop by Northampton's excellent retail resource for LGBT books, music, and gifts, Pride & Joy (20 Crafts Ave., 413-585-0683), which is sort of the de facto Northampton lesbian and gay community center. Additionally, the Greater Northampton Chamber of Commerce is an excellent resource for obtaining tourism information on the area.
