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Pride Month celebrations continue across Erie today — and one of the biggest gatherings happened at Liberty Park. Pride on the Bay brought out families, allies, and longtime supporters, all filling the waterfront with color and music.
Hundreds came to Liberty Park — music was rolling off the stage, food trucks lined up, and rainbow flags stretched toward the shoreline as people moved through the tents.
Those who attended this year’s Pride on the Bay said the event gives them a space to celebrate, connect, and feel supported.
“It’s all about community. I mean, it’s all of us, all of everybody else. I mean, any alliance, all of us. But it’s also somewhere safe for us to go as well. It’s fun, but then it shows everybody that it’s, you know, not harmful, and it’s not — everybody just, you know — it’s not hateful either,” Jessica, an attendee, shared.
“Given all of the hostility that’s currently going on in the world against the LGBTQIA community, I think having a sense of belonging is amazing. And here at Liberty Park, you can see all different kinds of people from all different walks of life having fun, making friends, enjoying themselves. It’s a really great sense of belonging here right now,” Alysia Mando, who works for Erie Insurance at the NWPA Pride stand, shared.