About Putnam Pride
Putnam Pride is a grassroots organization dedicated to building a welcoming community for queer people of all ages to gather and celebrate in Putnam County. We strive to take an intersectional approach that spotlights the most marginalized groups and to use our platform as a vehicle for creating real change. We believe that Black Lives Matter and trans rights are human rights.
Putnam is the only county in the lower Hudson Valley that, until 2020, had no public pride events. That changed when a small group of us marched down Gleneida Avenue in Carmel, NY on June 22, 2020 in solidarity with black lives in the wake of the George Floyd murder. While we could not have the parade we had planned in Cold Spring due to Covid, the event brought more visibility to marginalized groups in Putnam. Growing from the success of the first event, on June 5th, 2021, we held our 2nd annual Putnam Pride Celebration in Carmel, NY.
On June 24th, 2023, we will hold the 4th Annual Putnam Pride featuring the following presenters and speakers:
Norma Pereira -She/Her
Eileen McDermott - She/Her (Putnam Pride)
Martin McGeachy - He/Him (Gilead Church)
Mondaire Jones - He/Him
NY State Senator Pete Harckham - He/Him
Marisa Ragonese She/Her (Yorktown For Justice)
Dakota Piñon - He/Him (GLSEN Lower Hudson Valley)
James Young, He/They (QUEERY)
Karissa O’Reilly, She/Her (School Library Media Specialists of Southeastern NY)
Abigail Santana - She/Her (CAFÉ)
Saanvi Prasad - She/They (Dear Asian Youth Putnam Chapter)
Ellis Finkelstein - They/Them (The Longview School)
Once again, our Emcees and Hosts will be Angel Elektra and Shay D’Pines.
Performers:
Angel Elektra and ShayD’Pines • Kitty Ka’Boodlez • Carrie Ashton • Monkeytown Milk Spillers • I.Den.t.T • Sierra Cervantes • Jeffie Zitovsky • The Geology Club • Iden.t.T • Zachary Clark and Zen Seller, accom. by Justin Clark
PUTNAM PRIDE 2023 GENERAL INFORMATION
On June 24, starting at 1:00PM, we will first gather at the Old Town Hall in Brewster Village to hear from a lineup of powerful local speakers who will fire us up to MARCH, CHANT and SING our way through the streets of Brewster up to Wells Park, where we will have a day filled with entertainment, dancing and family activities; 45 vendors to browse, including two food trucks and five food tents and 23 local nonprofits/ educational organizations; a "kids tent" featuring bubbles, magic, Drag Queen Story Time with Angel Elektra, puppets and more; a "Step and Repeat" where you can take selfies; face painting by our resident artists; and of course, a lineup of amazing performers, including the day's fabulous hosts and emcees, Angel Elektra and Shay D'Pines !
Come ready to be LOUD AND PROUD!! 500+ anti-LGBTQ+ bills and counting and a year filled with local harassment and pushback in the face of increased visibility means we cannot back down or forget what Pride is really all about - celebrating our community is part of that, but please come to the village to hear our speakers and march with us too if you're able!!
The walk is .6 miles, with a medium grade hill at the end. The route will be paved. The festival will take place on a grassy field, but there is a paved road alongside it that leads up to the stage. There will be one accessible port-a-pottie and two standard ones. There will be several accessible parking spots in the Wells Park parking lot. If you're able to walk, please park in Brewster Village, near the train station.
If you want to hear speakers but cannot do the walk, please park near the train station and join us in the Village at 1pm, then drive up to the park after the march (you’ll have to wait for the last marchers to enter the park).
Please bring blankets and chairs, and remember that Wells Park unfortunately does not allow pets! If you have a service animal, please let a member of the staff know upon arrival so we're aware.
The show will be going on with incredible acts all day, so consider sticking it out to the end with us!!
Rain date is 6/25 but let's all pray to the goddesses of good weather!!
Please post any additional questions here.
HAPPY PRIDE AND SEE YOU SOON!!!