Providence celebrates PrideFest in its 49th year

PROVIDENCE, R.I. (WLNE) — Providence hosted the 49th annual PrideFest Saturday.

“I’m here to just celebrate pride and have a lot of fun with a really great community,” attendee Holly Bissett said.

“We’re having a really nice time, there’s a lot of dancing, there’s music, there’s a lot of colors out here,” PrideFest volunteer Aleece Lamountain said. “We have a lot of bubbles too, its just been a really nice time.”

President of Rhode Island Pride Rodney Davis said he expected the celebration to have more than 100,000 participants.

“Today is really what I call the family reunion, and its one of the best in the world,” Davis said. “And so it is a gem here in New England and we are so happy to see literally hundreds of thousands of people coming to Providence.”

PrideFest hosted over 200 vendors, local artisans, and community organizations.

“The atmosphere is… electric, there’s color everywhere, its bright, its vibrant, everyone’s smiling, everyone’s happy, and, you know, everyone feels like themselves and I think thats the most important part,” PrideFest volunteer Justice Drapeau said.

This event was put together by over 200 volunteers, in which the lead volunteer coordinator said she added extra shifts to accommodate.

“Seeing the community come out in such wonderful support and droves of support, wanting to help make the event happen has been the most heartwarming thing I can think of,” PrideFest Lead Volunteer Coordinator Jess Motyl-Szary said.

This theme for 2025 was “unapologetically proud.”

“For us to have a space that we can all come together, celebrate who we are, feel safe and comfortable, and remind ourselves that we are not alone in this world,” Motyl-Szary said.

“People think this is just about a celebration, this is also about saving lives,” Davis said. “It’s so important to be able to celebrate who we are, and to be able to find pride in oneself.”