This year marks the fourth Sheffield Pride in the Southern Berkshire Community of around 3,000 just south of Great Barrington.
“We were started by the two churches in town, the First Congregational Church of Sheffield and Christ Trinity Episcopal Lutheran Church, who began this as part of the Pride farmers market in June back in 2019, I guess. And since then, it's been growing and growing," said co-coordinator Ed Valentine. “We've been getting 300, 400 people, upwards of that over the last couple of years, and it’s now grown to a whole weekend event with LGBT Pride play readings on Saturday, as well, by the Beekeepers Theater, and the big, of course, Festival of Pride as part of the Farmers Market on Friday right there in downtown Sheffield.”
“We want to show people that we are here and we're queer, and we're proud. And we're not a threat. We are full of love. And we're hoping that we can portray that to everybody in the surrounding area," said co-coordinator Teak Welch. “We start at three o'clock with the farmers market in Sheffield. We've got booths interspersed with the farmers market booths, and our actual events will start at five o'clock with our drag story hour. We have Bella Santarella coming to read to the kids. So, we're excited about that one. She's new with us this year.”
At 6 o’clock, a free dinner will be served.
“There's going to be pulled pork sandwiches and barbecue mushrooms for a vegetarian option, And that is sponsored by Christ Trinity Church," Welch told WAMC. "And then during dinner, we're going to have a little Prideful Pet Parade. So, we're trying to encourage people to come on out with your animals all dressed up, not just dogs, we'll take any kind of pet. And we'll have some judges for that little parade. And then we'll have our variety show starting at seven. We have a whole lot of different local artists that will be singing, we have a tapper and some group numbers and some singing along at the end. And then we'll have a little dance party to close out the evening.”
“We've seen many, many young queer youth and LGBTQ+ youth come and show up and just- It’s one of my favorite parts of the day, where we just see people dancing together at the end of the day, allies and people of all different orientations and gender expressions, who just kind of celebrate the fall of night there in this little small town as they're dancing around to the tunes that are playing as the as the tables pack up," said Valentine. "I think it's one of my very favorite parts of the day.”
Welch says despite efforts across the country to curtail the legal rights of the LGBTQIA+ community, Sheffield Pride is an opportunity to be seen, heard, and loved.
“Oh, it is such a sad time that we that this has to be a topic of conversation, but absolutely does," Welch said. "It definitely has some sort of effect on us. But you know, all I'm hoping that it will do for us is allow us to use our voices and speak out and show that we're not going anywhere and we are no threat. We just want the sense of community and love that that the rest of the world has. You know, we don't want to let the hate win.”
Valentine says community is at the core of Sheffield Pride.
“We've been really embraced by the town," he told WAMC. "We are a small rural community with a really vibrant art scene with music and theatre and puppetry and all sorts of different stuff. And I think we've found incredible love from the people who are in town who really are proud of our rural identity, but also the arts organizations that are around there. And I think we've just seen incredible, incredible acceptance from the people in town, who know that this is a great family friendly event that they can bring the kids to, and just everybody have a great time together. As well, I also want to say to that there's a community of Pride there, that we have tables of social services, where we can connect people with services they need, and Rainbow Seniors and different events from Berkshire Pride, so that we can we can reach people where they are.”
“This is not just for the LGBTQIA community," said Welch. "This is for allies as well. We want everybody to feel welcome and a part of a part of our community and our event. And the more the merrier. So, please come out and join us. We look so forward to seeing you. There is a chance of rain on Friday, so we do have a rain contingency at the Pavilion in the Sheffield park, just so everyone knows.”
