GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. — The very first Creston Pride Festival was held in Grand Rapids this weekend.
En Vivo Church, the Creston Neighborhood Association and Best in Creston came together on Sept. 8 to host a day full of pride celebrations and family fun from noon to 6 p.m.
The event was held at 123 Caledonia Street NE and kicked off with what organizers are calling the "World's Smallest Pride Parade."
Daniel Drent, one of the organizers, said the idea for the parade started as a joke.
"We moved into the neighborhood about a year ago and we have the alleyway, and we said, 'Let's do the world's smallest gay pride parade.' And it turned into this today," Drent said. "...The joke started like a year ago and then we just kept on with the joke and suddenly it was like, 'Well, we really should do something.'"
Drent said even though the parade was small in size, it was a big deal for the community.
"It's just a chance to bring the neighborhood together, to recognize the queer community and their importance in the neighborhood, and just to promote unity and love and acceptance for everybody," Drent said.
The event had food trucks, an artisan market, drag story time, drag shows and dance parties.
Drent said when planning the event, there were so many different pride events each weekend in June that they decided to hold it in a different month entirely.
"This is just a perfect time," Drent said. "It's the end of the summer. People are back home from vacations and everything else. So it really is an opportunity for families to still spread that time, and also to recognize the fact that pride is not just June. It needs to be 365 days a year."
The event was such a success community members and vendors are already asking Drent when it'll be held next year.
But for now, Drent said it's all about enjoying the day.
"They're proud of the community and they're excited about it," Drent said. "Our main goal is (for visitors) to enjoy themselves. Hopefully they meet a new neighbor or a new friend, and, you know, just have fun. That's what it's about. Life should be about fun. We have too many other things to worry about, so let's just enjoy today."