CHICOPEE– The Chicopee Cultural Council is hoping to create a new tradition in the city with their first Pride Fest on June 26.

The event will run from 4 p.m. to 10 p.m. at Center Park in Chicopee Center.

Johnny Miranda Alomar, chair of the Chicopee Cultural Council, spoke on how this event will celebrate Pride Month.

“We were talking about how it has never been officially celebrated in the City of Chicopee so we thought that this would be a great opportunity, with COVID-19 restrictions being recently lifted, to celebrate pride and, at the same time, bring the community together and out into the fresh air,” he said.

The event will feature drag performances, live music, food trucks, art vendors and speakers from the LGBTQ community. Alomar said that the Cultural Council is still approving vendors, but have confirmed Crave Food Truck, Dyke Dyes – an LGBTQ T-shirt business – and artists from La Diaspora so far.

There will be no tickets required to attend the event and people of all ages are welcome. Alomar said that there will be greeters at the entrance and workers helping guide the public on where to park.

A local nonprofit will also be selling water and raising money for an LGBTQ cause.

Alomar said that he is most excited about the possibility of this turning into a yearly celebration for the city.

“I’m most excited about the possibility of continuity. We know that there are a lot of people that are interested in this happening, there’s a lot of community members that have reached out to assist and do anything that they can help. Because the community is excited, I’m excited and I just hope that this is the first of a tradition to have this every year and the LGBTQ community can feel welcome and celebrated,” he said.

Those interested in further information or updates on Chicopee Pride Fest are encouraged to visit the Cultural Council’s Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/chicopeeculturalcouncil.