by Mike Doughty, CANDLE Coalition Member

This year will be the third annual Cortland Community Pride Festival! The festival will be on Saturday July 19th, from 10am to 2pm at Courthouse Park in Cortland. We will have over 60 agencies and vendors, games, a raffle giveaway, a pride costume contest, and our family friendly drag show! Like previous years, we will have our vendors and agencies spread throughout the park, ranging from local and regional healthcare providers, mental health providers, social support groups and coalitions, vendors selling their art and products, state offices/departments, as well as some options for food and drinks during the event. With over 60 tables registered for the event, there will be something for everyone.

We also have a group of sponsors that gave over $5500 to help fund the event this year! We greatly appreciate CANDLE’s support and are proud partners of the coalition. We are extremely thankful to all our sponsors and partners that are helping with the event. You can find the full list of sponsors on the flyer for the event and on the Center’s website.

As members of CANDLE, this event will be substance free and open to everyone of all ages. Not only is this a day of fun, but it is also an opportunity to meet new people and build community. Statistically, queer folks are more likely to misuse substances, such as alcohol and cannabis, compared to non-queer folks. Finding supportive people to surround yourself with helps decrease substance misuse. Here at the LGBTQ Center, we are always working to create a supportive and healthy community for all.

We hope for amazing weather and to bring together the community in a day of fun and Pride! We hope you’ll join us!

~Mike Doughty, Cortland LGBTQ Center Program Coordinator