By Geena Monahan—For the North Star Reporter
Five years after launching North Attleborough’s first Pride Festival, organizers say the event has grown from a small gathering into a community tradition — one supported by volunteers who once attended as students.
The fifth annual Pride Festival will take place Saturday, June 27, from 2 p.m. to 6 p.m. at Veterans Park, featuring more than 50 vendors, food trucks, live entertainment, family activities and community organizations.
“When we started, there was no Pride (Festival) in this town,” said organizer Sarah Cenedella, who helped launch the event after moving to North Attleborough from a community with established LGBTQ+ celebrations. “I thought it would be important to show that there are plenty of members of the (LGBTQ+) community here and to make sure everyone understands that they are welcome in this town.”
The festival drew roughly 300 attendees during its first year, Cenedella said. Since then, participation has steadily expanded, particularly among local organizations.
“What I’ve seen grow over the years is community support,” she said. “We went from having maybe five or six local organizations involved to about 20. Counseling groups, churches, youth organizations — it really shows the support we have, not just in North Attleborough, but throughout Bristol County.”
This year’s festival will feature performances by drag queens Lulu Levity and Sterlyn Silva, including a drag story time and live show. School of Rock students will return to perform, providing music alongside DJ Nate for the afternoon.
Attendees will find food from Tacofied, Ja Patty Jamaican Cuisine and Sip Sip Hooray, along with offerings from The Purple Rooster.
North Attleborough Poet Laureate Kayla Roy will host a community poetry activity, inviting attendees to try their hand at writing. Those creations will be displayed in the returning “Tunnel of Love” installation, one of the festival’s newer attractions.
Several family-friendly activities will also return, including craft stations, button-making, scavenger hunts, chalk art, bubbles and hula-hoops.
“We’re really family-focused,” organizer Elizabeth Lacasse said. “There’s a little bit of something for everyone.”
One of Lacasse’s most memorable moments from the festival came when a mother approached her and shared how much it meant to see a celebration like this in town, sharing that she wished a Pride festival had existed when she was growing up.
“I’ll never forget that,” Lacasse said.
For organizers, those moments are part of the festival’s larger purpose and why they continue to put it together year after year.
Jasper Hustler, who began attending while in high school and now returns annually as a volunteer, said the festival helps create a sense of belonging that was less visible when they were a student.
“Back in high school there was a very small group of kids who were out,” Hustler said. “Knowing there’s a (LGBTQ+) community in town is nice. It’s always a good time seeing people come together.”
Recent North Attleborough High School graduate Leo Pusateri has seen a similar shift.
“In eighth grade, I was one of three kids who identified as trans,” Pusateri said. “Now I’m one of five. Club Iris (a NAHS group that supports LGBTQ+ awareness) went from six people meeting virtually into 50 people, and they take up one of the biggest rooms in the school now.”
Hustler said that visibility and mentorship can make a meaningful difference for those who may be questioning their identity.
“I think younger people are more likely to come out and express their identity because they see people who are open about being themselves,” Hustler said. “Having role models and mentors is important.”
For Cenedella, those stories reflect the impact the festival can have on young people who may be looking for a sense of belonging or reassurance that they are not alone
“Pride is really for young people to know they are supported,” Cenedella said. “One supportive person can make a huge difference in someone’s life. A lot of us are parents, and we want people to know there’s a community here for them.”