LOWELL, Mich. — Lowell Pride will host its first in-person celebration on Saturday, June 5, with a day-long event along the Riverwalk.
"It's been a lot of positivity, we have a couple of people who are always going to be negative about it, but for the most part it's been overwhelmingly positive," said Nicole Lintemuth, president of Lowell Pride.
Lintemuth first had the idea to host an in-person Pride event after hosting a virtual event for her Lowell bookstore called Bettie's Pages.
Lintemuth, along with a planning committee, have spent the last year making plans.
"Cannot believe that it's here now," Lintemuth said Friday.
Lintemuth said many customers of the bookstore, especially teenagers, have said how excited they are for the event.
Lintemuth, who identifies as queer, said it's an experience she wishes she had as a young person, and she hopes parents will share in their kids' excitement.
"Because that's a big deal for them to be sharing this with you, and I just know that if I had had an event like this when I had been a teenager growing up in a small town...I can't even like, imagine what a difference it would have made in my life growing up," Lintemuth said.
The event is family-friendly and includes over 50 vendors, crafters and non-profits. Over 60 people have volunteered to help run the event.
On the main stage, a Drag Queen Story Hour will take place first at 11 a.m., followed by a panel, a fashion show and a showing of the documentary "Real Boy."
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