Harrisonburg will host a new Pride-themed vendor market this weekend as part of Best.Weekend.Ever. WMRA’s Anjoleigh Schindler reports.
The Friendly City Pride Market, organized by the local nonprofit Friendly City Safe Space in partnership with Harrisonburg Downtown Renaissance, will take place Saturday afternoon on North Liberty Street.
Site Director Dandy Knopf says the idea has been in the works for about a year.
DANDY KNOPF: It’s something we’ve wanted to do. We thought it would be a good opportunity to uplift more marginalized voices and to create more opportunities for marginalized vendors who may not have had as much success in other avenues.
The market will feature queer, trans, gender-expansive, BIPOC, disabled and other marginalized artists, makers and small business owners from across the Shenandoah Valley. Vendors will sell items including artwork, pottery, jewelry and tie-dye apparel.
Knopf says the event is designed in part to address barriers some entrepreneurs face when trying to find places to sell their work.
KNOPF: Creating an additional market helps to provide more opportunities.
The response from vendors and community members has been strong, according to Knopf, with applications arriving quickly after the market was announced.
Organizers hope the event will also create a greater sense of visibility and belonging for LGBTQ+ people in the region.
KNOPF: I hope that they will see themselves represented more within the community and to know that they are welcome and celebrated.
Knopf says the market’s success will be measured by community response.
KNOPF: I think success for this market would be that people have a good time and that they are excited. We hope to do more of these markets as the year goes on, so we hope that this will be kind of a stepping stone to building out a more regular market program.
The Friendly City Pride Market runs from 1 to 5 p.m. Saturday at 188 North Liberty Street. The Best.Weekend.Ever. event will also feature live music and family-friendly activities across the downtown area.
