Whatcom Youth Pride parade, festival will celebrate Bellingham’s queer community
Whatcom Youth Pride festival and parade returns this weekend, one of the few events of its kind nationwide that focuses primarily on queer teens and kids.
Finding a space to meet and socialize with other queer kids was something that Western Washington University student Ash Summers said is important for LGBTQ youth. Summers is a member of PFLAG, which is among several community groups that is sponsoring a section of sidewalk along the parade route downtown.
“Especially in middle and high school, it was nice to see Pride events. Right now, the world is really hard, and it’s really scary. It’s nice to have a space where we can celebrate queer joy and celebrate who I am without being scared,” he told The Herald in a phone call.
As in previous years, the parade kicks off at 11 a.m. Saturday from the corner of Halleck Street and Cornwall Avenue, kitty-corner from Bellingham High, where a post-parade festival is planned from 11:30 a.m. to 2 p.m.
From the corner of Halleck and Cornwall, the parade heads south on Cornwall to York Street, turning west on York to where it becomes Flora Street and intersects with Commercial Street. The procession heads north to Young Street, turns east to Halleck and ends at the starting point.
An estimated 1,500 people line the streets of the one-mile route, where community groups gather in cheering sections. Only youth are allowed to march.
After the parade, a festival at Bellingham High features informational booths for community groups, music and performances, a maker space, youth art market and food trucks, according to the event website.
