MIDDLEVILLE, Mich. — Olivia Bennett has been hard at work, planning the second Middleville Pride Festival coming up in June.
"We're hoping for a bigger turnout than last year," said Bennett. "I think last year, if we estimated correctly, and I'm not a good judge of numbers, but maybe 300 to 400 people."
Bennett, along with co-organizer Amanda Fisk, planned last year's festival, which drew some controversy following plans to bring a family-friendly drag queen show to the village's downtown park.
And this year's plans for another show aren't any different.
"They know that they need to dress appropriately," said Bennett. "They know that language in music has to be appropriate. All of their songs go to me. I've met them. I have most of their songs already."
The reviews from last year, Bennet said, were nothing but supportive from those who attended, adding one of the biggest reasons Pride came to Middleville was to support the LGBTQ community in rural areas.
"I mean, we see anti-LGBT laws everywhere around the country," said Bennett. "And sometimes that's disheartening to you know, a lot of LGBT people, especially young, you know, children, the youth. And so events like this, I think are important because it shows people that there is community, that there is love and then there is support."
Middleville isn't the only town in Barry County that will have Pride this year. Organizers in Hastings are planning the first one in the city at the end of June.
Sydney Smith, one of the festival's organizers, said in a statement:
"I decided to Kickstart this festival when someone anonymously asked for some LGBTQ+ resources on a local Facebook forum and was met with some heavy backlash and cruelty. We don't have a lot of resources for our marginalized community in Hastings, but there are a lot of queer folks in Hastings and I myself have seen the town grow and experience a lot of support and friendship in the town. I believe that hate is loud but love organizes. My idea was that the size and shape of the festival would entirely depend on public want and support. The outpouring of support and involvement I've experienced from the people who have joined the committee and met weekly getting all these things done, to the outpouring positivity from every local business I've visited about the matter, and the unanimous passing of the event in our city council, the event has grown and taken shape exponentially."
Smith added that they'll be donating funds raised through the festival to the Hastings High School Gender and Sexuality Alliance.
Bennett said everyone involved in Middleville Pride is proud that more festivals are popping up in small Michigan towns.
"There's people from all around Barry County, especially who you know, this event last year, really brightened them up. I know that inspired people in Hastings, you know, to you know, start raising up their own events and stuff, and I think that's amazing. And I don't know, it just warms my heart to like, see that that's coming."
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