The second annual Poolesville Pride Fest on June 14 will celebrate LGBTQ+ acceptance with musical performances, local businesses, and family activities.
The event, organized by Poolesville Pride—a social club for local LGBTQ+ residents—in partnership with the MoCo Pride Center, the Town of Poolesville and Upcounty Prevention Network, will take place from 4 to 9 p.m. at Locals Farm Market.
Sam Cooper and Sabrina Sanchez, president and vice president of Poolesville Pride Club, respectfully, created the festival to demonstrate the presence of the LGBTQ+ community in their area, specifically on the Agricultural Reserve where the event will take place.
The club aims to spotlight the presence of LGBTQ+ residents in rural areas.
“Poolesville Pride is hoping to model that to the county, the state, the region, the nation that there are queer people everywhere, and there always have been,” said Cooper. “We’re out here in agricultural areas and we are a vital, rooted part of the communities here and everywhere across the country.”
Both Cooper and Sanchez grew up in Poolesville, where they observed limited queer community and acceptance.
“It was very hard to find older queer representation and potential mentors that we could go to to ask questions,” said Sanchez.
In 2022, Cooper organized the first ever public event for the LGBTQ+ community in the town’s history, a queer potluck that inspired the founding of Poolesville Pride. In 2024, they held their first festival.
“Last year was just such a joy to see so many faces lit up with radical acceptance and happiness. There was such an exuberance in the event and, knock on wood, we’re going to have that same mood this year,” said Cooper.
At this year’s event, patrons can browse the Vendor and Artist Fair and shop from local, LGBTQ-owned businesses and purchase food and drinks. Families with children can participate in storytime with Drag Queen Bella Naughty and jewelry making or take part in a story workshop of creating “Identity Through Poetry and Visual Art.”
The event will feature several musical performances, including a set from the Riverworks Wind Ensemble, and culminate in an all-ages Dance Party with a DJ.
Interested parties can reserve free tickets on Eventbrite.
Photo courtesy Poolesville Pride.
