The festival, which the Chenango County Pride Alliance plans to host annually, is free for all who attend and will feature five performances and around 50 food, cosmetic and non-profit vendors. (Submitted photo)

OXFORD– The Chenango County Pride Alliance Inc. is hosting its first festival, which it plans to hold annually, on August 26 at Boname Park in Oxford from 12 p.m. to 6 p.m. The festival is free for all who attend and will feature five performances and around 50 vendors.

There will be five food vendors, and other vendors range from non-profit organizations to soap and cosmetics, said Executive Director R.J. Shea. Performances include drag, theater and Zumba as well as a singing contest and HIV education.

The festival will take place rain or shine, Shea said, and is for everyone of all ages to enjoy. Shea said the day also means celebrating Chenango County’s LGBTQ+ community, as the event stands as the county’s first large and organized pride festival.

“Sometimes in the rural communities, people can’t always travel to Binghamton or to Syracuse or to Ithaca for the larger pride events,” Shea said. “So by doing something here locally, that kind of gives everyone the opportunity to come and really show their pride for LGBTQ in little old Chenango County.”

Seating to watch the main-stage events will not be provided, and Shea advised people to bring lawn chairs or blankets.

The festival will kick off with an opening ceremony at 12:15 p.m. to introduce the board members of the alliance and the performances, Shea said.

The opening ceremony will be followed by 30 minutes of Broadway show-tunes by the Norwich Theater Company Inc., Shea said. Afterwards, Fitness Instructor Marni Manwarren will run a Zumba exercise session designed for beginners and families.

At 1:30 p.m., the alliance will host its Pride Idol Contest, where 10 contestants will sing in front of three judges, Shea said. The winner will receive $175 and a plaque, and a runner-up will win $75 and a plaque.

The alliance is still looking for more contestants, and those interested in performing should preregister on the alliance’s website, Shea said.

Later, at 2:30 p.m., the alliance will hold a Night of Illusion show with Courtney Wells, which will feature 12 drag performers, Shea said.

A thirty-minute HIV education session run by the HIV Stops with Me organization will break up the Night of Illusion Show and the Kings and Queens show, which will feature 28 additional drag performers starting at 4 p.m., Shea said.

Drag performers are traveling from areas like Little Falls, Binghamton, Syracuse, Utica and Norwich, Shea said, and each king and queen will perform one number.

The festival with end with a closing ceremony and announcement of the Pride Idol winner at 5:30 p.m., Shea said.

Shea said the alliance has received “overwhelming support” from the community for the festival, achieving almost 10 sponsors. Some sponsors have donated over $2,500, including NBT Bank who recently donated $3,000 and volunteers.

Shea said the alliance still needs more volunteers, and responsibilities include picking up trash, decorating and working as parking attendants. He urges community members to sign up to volunteer on the alliance’s website.

Additional sponsors include the United Church of Christ, the Southern Tier AIDS Program, HIV Stops with Me, Hymn and Hawe Country Store, Visions Federal Credit Union, Family Planning of South Central New York, Sing Your Heart Out Karaoke and SmartStyle Hair Salon.

Not only has funding from sponsors allowed the festival to be possible, Shea said, but also profits from the alliance’s monthly Drag Me to BINGO and Night of Illusion shows.

Shea said it is hard to predict exactly how many people will attend the festival, given factors like weather, but he estimates a crowd of between 300 and 400 people. Parking will be located on park grounds at 4364 County Rd. 32 in Oxford.

The alliance will also host a festival kick-off party on August 24 at Patocka’s in Greene from 6 p.m. to 10 p.m. Shea said the party is open to the public and free, and it will be a time to socialize and enjoy drinks, cocktails and appetizers.

Shea said he looks forward to hosting the festival every year and plans for next year’s festival to be at a larger park in the county and to take place at the end of July.

For this year’s festival, Shea is hopeful that it will be a success and invites everyone for a day of fun.

“Come one, come all for a great day of community togetherness,” Shea said. “The world is full of hate as it is– try to keep the politics out of the picture and come and enjoy the day, and I’m just hopeful that that will happen.”

More information about the festival can be found at chenangocountypridealliance.org