The most colorful annual event in Worcester will be soon be upon us. Worcester’s Pride Week starts Sept. 4 and lasts until Sept. 8, from Tuesday to Saturday! Worcester Pride welcomes all in the LGBTQIA+ community and supporters of any kind. Participation is encouraged, regardless of age, race, religion, disability, origin, gender identity and sexual orientation. Here’s a rundown of all the events you can expect during this joyful and exciting time!

On Sept. 4, there will be Pride Paints the Woo, from 9 a.m.-noon at City Hall. The community will paint four crosswalks in Worcester with the colors of the rainbow. You and your friends can volunteer, and the staff can use all the help it can get!

Sept. 5’s event is the Love Your Label reception at the Worcester Historical Museum on Elm Street. It is a presentation about accepting yourself and eliminating stereotypes, empowering individuals through confidence and an initiative for making a bigger and better community. This reception will be held from 7-9 p.m.

Sept. 6 includes a flurry of exciting events with elected city officials and Pride Committee members. From 3-4 p.m. is the annual flag raising at City Hall. The reception for the flag-raising event will be at Buck’s Whiskey & Burger Bar on 62 Green St. from 4:30-6 p.m. Then, we are off to the Bridge Lighting Ceremony at Burns Bridge over Lake Quinsigamond. Glorious iridescent lights will start adorning the bridge at 7 p.m.

It’s not over yet! On Sept. 7, Pride will hold the much adored and praiseworthy LGBTQIA+ Pride Pageant. Fiddler’s Green at 19 Temple St., Worcester, will host the event from 6-10 p.m. Join us as we crown eager contestants with the titles of Mr., Mrs. and Mx. Worcester, as well as award a drag queen champion as Miss Gay Worcester. Don’t miss out, get your tickets early ($10 in advance and $15 at the door, if room allows).

Sept. 8 is the big day. You could say we’ve saved the best for last! The beloved Pride Parade starts at 11 a.m. at Humboldt Street at Institute Park and ends at noon at Worcester City Hall on Main Street. This is the beginning of the Pride Festival on the common, where the festivities will continue on until 5 p.m. There will be entertainment in the form of local bands, plenty of food and vendors everywhere. The last of Pride’s events will come at nightfall with the YWCA Youth Pride Dance from 7-10 p.m. on Salem Street, Worcester, and the Pride Block Party at the MB Lounge at 40 Grafton St., Worcester, from 5:30 p.m.-1 a.m. Unlike every other event, participants will have to be at least 21 years old to attend the block party.

After that, our celebration of diversity in sexual orientation and gender identity in a family-friendly atmosphere will finally be at a close until next year.

To find out more about this and other Pride events, visitworcesterpride.org.

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Elliot Mercier, Guest Writer