The annual MidMO PrideFest took place next to Rose Music Hall in downtown Columbia Sept. 23 and 24 — continuing the tradition for over 23 years.
The festival incorporated a variety of events and activities to celebrate the LGBTQ+ community, including vendor booths at the street fair, drag shows, musical performances, food trucks and more. The Pride Parade, held at noon on Sept. 24, took place on Broadway, 9th and 4th St., featuring dancers, musicians, PrideFest royalty and other participants.
Janet Davis, president of the MidMO PrideFest, has been on the committee for six years and has led the team with another successful year of pride celebration. Davis said the event was much larger, both in turnout and layout this year, as the committee expanded the festival to include another street. Although rain and lightning stopped performances in the latter half of the first day, bright sun brought out even more attendees on Sunday.
As a member of the queer community herself, Davis said she enjoyed being able to bring the celebration to all of Columbia and loved seeing people come together.
“Hearing the cheers of the crowds all the way across the festival makes my heart so happy,” Davis said. “This community is awesome, and we want to share that with the world.”
In order to ensure that the event ran smoothly, Davis upheld multiple responsibilities prior to the festival, including providing the necessary tools and supplies to the committee, speaking with the media, confirming the venue and establishing safety precautions with the fire department. Because the festival requires many hours of work, Davis said the committee spent the past year and over $50,000 to make it happen.
The street fair was a significant part of the PrideFest, taking three streets this year and featuring around 170 different vendors from 12-7 p.m. both days.
Zoe Westhoff was one of these vendors, bringing Mod Mushroom Art & Vintage to MidMO PrideFest for the first time this year. She has run the art and clothing sustainability shop on her own for the past four years. With interests in vintage clothing and making her own art, Westhoff originally opened the business online, and three years later, she began doing pop ups at various festivals around town.
Westhoff said that she loved being a part of PrideFest this year, as it gave her the opportunity to provide unique and inexpensive items to the LGBTQ+ and ally community.
“Columbia has so many opportunities for small businesses to pop up and connect with the community,” Westhoff said. “It’s so important because it makes art, local food and clothing so easily accessible to people.”
Along with numerous vendors, the band SoulRoot brought entertainment to PrideFest attendees by performing Sunday evening. Started 10 years ago by Ron Schieferdecker, lead vocalist, and Rob Frommel, lead guitarist, the band has increased by four new members since then. The group focuses mainly on covers ranging anywhere within the past eight decades to showcase a diverse set of songs.
After performing at PrideFest last year, the committee asked SoulRoot to return in order to continue sharing their talent and passion for music with Columbia. Schieferdecker said the band hopes to continue growing and encourages music lovers to have a listen to their songs.
“It’s a very festive event, and anytime we get to be a part of people gathering to enjoy life, we are on board — I think I speak for everyone when I say that our favorite part of the event is being on the stage and interacting with the crowd,” Schieferdecker said. “If SoulRoot is the catalyst for people to make lasting memories with friends and loved ones, to help them forget about the hardships of life and to just let their hair down, then we have accomplished our goal.”
In addition, the PrideFest held its annual Youth Pageant for anyone between 15 and 17 years old, resulting in Krystal Queer as this year’s Youth Pride Queen. After competing for the crown in June, Queer had the opportunity to perform at the festival and participate in the parade. She has been a part of PrideFest for many years as a volunteer and said that there was a large influx of helpers that made the event even better than previous years.
Queer said her favorite part was seeing how large the audience at PrideFest was because it created a very encouraging atmosphere that gave her energy while performing her drag routines.
“This event is important to Columbia because it brings people together to spread love and kindness, to see drag and to meet new people who are like you,” Queer said. “PrideFest gives us high school students an escape to express ourselves and be accepted [for] who we are. I encourage everyone to attend MidMO PrideFest because we advocate for everyone no matter who you are.”
RBHS senior Sarah Knowles attended the PrideFest for the third year in a row and plans to go again next year too. With all of the different vendors and activities, Knowles said it was an amazing place to hang out with friends and was happy to see the growth made since previous years.
Because the event drew in many high school students, Knowles said she believes PrideFest is a great way to encourage queer youth to participate in celebrating their sexuality.
“I truly believe Pride is important for high school students because it gives them the ability to express themselves fully but also get [the] resources they [need],” Knowles said. “I love seeing the growth in our community and [how it is] such an inviting event for everyone.”
Although Pride month takes place in June, the PrideFest is always held in September to accommodate Columbia’s large proportion of college students, making it a more accessible event. Additionally, Westhoff said the event helps bring a safe place for high school students specifically, as she believes they may still be figuring out their sexuality and it allows them to learn more about their community.
“In a college town of this size, it’s extra important for us to have a large presence after all of the [college] students arrive,” Davis said. “They have the opportunity to come and be themselves when they may not get that chance in their hometowns.”
MidMO PrideFest attendees had the opportunity to celebrate LGBTQ+ members and their supporters this past weekend, Davis said, along with being a part of a welcoming community. Simultaneously, they could enjoy delicious food, go shopping at different booths and listen to live music at Rose Music Hall.
“You get to see and meet people that you don’t normally meet in any other setting, learn and do something fun,” Westhoff said. “I think it’s an excellent inclusive activity because if you’re queer of any kind, it makes you feel welcome — anybody is welcome. It’s important for high schoolers to get out there, do something different and be open to different opinions.”
Did you enjoy MidMO PrideFest this year? Let us know in the comments below.
