Tucked behind the usual bustling of Kirkwood Avenue, a stretch of Fourth Street transformed into a celebration Saturday. Bloomington PRIDE’s second annual Summerfest filled the day with music, food, dancing, drinking, face painting, lectures and lots of rainbows.
A parade kicked off the day. People marched along the B-Line Trail from Cardinal Spirits to Fourth Street where two stages, informational booths, bounce houses, a rock wall, a dunk tank and tables awaited the crowds that gathered at 2 p.m.
Rainbows pervaded the festival — they were painted onto faces and the sides of heads, draped on shoulders, laced into hair, emblazoned on flags and shirts and jewelry and even incorporated into the crosswalks. Music played over the loud hum of food trucks and conversation. Somewhere, incense burned.
Different faces milled about, from young children gallivanting through the crowd to teenagers sprinkled with glitter, people strutting in drag and older men with their wives. Queer couples, straight couples and everyone in between seemed to be present.
“I love seeing all people come together,” said Sarah Perfetti, the executive director of Bloomington PRIDE and the festival’s project manager. “We wanted something that reflects Bloomington’s progressive, artsy, funky culture.”
Perfetti said one of the goals of Summerfest was to create a welcoming, inclusive environment. Jack Reif, 54, and Rodney Cox, 38, a couple attending the festival, said they felt right at home. The two met in Indianapolis and have been together for six months. Both said the festival was the perfect size.
“It’s just small enough to enjoy,” Cox said. “You get too many people, and it’s too crowded.”
Reif agreed. “This festival is even more fun than the one they have up in Indianapolis, because it’s so busy,” he said. “This is more neighborhood-y.”
“We wanted it to feel like that — homemade kind of,” Perfetti said.
She also said PRIDE wanted Summerfest to be more environmentally friendly and interactive than a massive parade would have been. Although the event started off with a parade, organizers and volunteers focused on the street party.
PRIDE board member Kelly Miller said this year there was more of everything — activities, music, food vendors, decorations and people. According to the event’s Facebook page, more than 2,000 people attended.
“The first time we had to spend a lot of time learning and understanding what worked, and we took the best of that and tried to amplify that this year,” he said.
Perfetti said one of PRIDE’s biggest challenge was getting enough volunteers for the event.
“98 percent of what we do is volunteer-led,” she said. A Summerfest committee made up of about 20 people took on the tasks of decorating, marketing and fundraising.
Activities progressed from kid-friendly to adult-focused, giving a different taste of the festival throughout the day. Kids could make crafts with their parents while young adults enjoyed a late afternoon drag show. Like Perfetti, Miller said he wanted the event to be welcoming to everyone.
“Looking for a name and a way to market this is challenging, because we’re not doing this for any specific group,” he said. “We’re trying to celebrate the queer community within south central Indiana, and to be all inclusive.”
Bloomington PRIDE began with a film festival in 2003. In 2013, a non-profit organization was born. A year later, the first PRIDE Summerfest took place, and Prism Youth Community, a group that aims to serve queer youth, was started.
For Harmony School students Emily Little, 16, and Taylor Kobylka, 15, Saturday allowed them to see another side of Bloomington. Both said they felt comfortable and welcomed.
“Everyone here is so sweet and nice,” Kobylka, who is involved with Prism Youth Community, said. “Everyone smiles at you as you walk past.”
The two said they were excited about the diversity and energy of the day. Little said this was her first pride event.
Perfetti and Miller said they intend for Summerfest to grow every year.
“There’s a lot to celebrate this year,” Miller said.
“Even though there’s a lot going on, it’s simultaneously laid back,” Little said. “And I mean, who doesn’t like rainbows?”
