MUHLENBERG TOWNSHIP, Pa. – On Sunday, Reading Pride will host its biggest celebration of the year.
“It’s a significant year because this marks our Reading Pride’s 20th anniversary. So, we tried to make it extra special,” says Sean Flannery, Board President of Reading Pride Celebration.
It’s taking place at Jim Dietrich Park in Muhlenberg Township, from eleven to five.
“There’s going to be great music and good food and lots of things for sale, lots of vendors and sponsors,” Flannery says.
As the group marks this milestone, organizers are reflecting on just how far the event has come.
“When I was a kid growing up, and I’m a Berks County native, Flannery says. “We did not have this community. There were little pockets, places. So, it was the efforts of a very small group of people that, and it took a lot of years to actually get the first festival.”
They say it’s the largest Pride celebration in Berks County, but getting here hasn’t been easy.
“Is always a challenge, and especially because of the economy, some DEI initiatives and some sponsorships have been pulled. So, this year was definitely more difficult,” Flannery says.
Even so, organizers say the reason they keep coming back is simple.
“Our engine to keep this festival alive every year, even though it does get difficult, is those people that come to you and say, “I felt supported. I felt safe. I felt a sense of community,” Flannery says.