Highschoolers in Lower Merion are planning a Pride event on June 11th at Narberth Park. They will be hosting the festival-type gathering from 12-4 pm and are hoping it “creates an event where queer people of all generations in our community could come together, and also for allies to educate themselves and show their support.”

This is a majority-LMHS, teen run event with the help of some adults. The founding board is made up of three committees who are working in conjunction to plan out this event: The Finance and Advertising Committee, The Music and Entertainment Committee, and The Outreach, Vendor, and Education Committee. 

The board has created a website (prideatthepark.org), instagram (@prideatthepark), and facebook (@Pride Park) to spread news of this upcoming event. They are promoting their function through other Narberth community events such as NarbArt and the Narberth Scavenger Hunt. LMSD school newspapers, fliers, and word of mouth are assisting in spreading the word as well.

When asked their inspiration to start this event, Maya Taylor and Sylvie Weisbord replied, “Most of us have lived in Narberth our whole lives and grew up going to events like the Music Festivals and NarbEarth Day with our families, and we wanted to create our own mark on the borough and the culture in Narberth. We have never seen a pride event in Lower Merion Township and last year we struggled to find pride events in this area.” 

Maya and Sylvie are hoping to form a new precedent for Narberth to continue to host more Pride events and shows. Since there is usually a large showout to other town festivals, organizing an annual event that shares awareness of the LGBTQ+ community will benefit Lower Merion and its citizens as a whole. 

The event plans to feature queer and allied artists, performers, organizations, and businesses. It will include educational tables about LGBTQIA+ issues, as well as fundraising for the Trevor Project (an American nonprofit organization focused on suicide prevention efforts among LGBTQ+ youth). The students shared that they are dedicated to creating a platform where local artists and performers can share their hard work and talent with the community. 

Local entertainers plan to perform at the event including Drag Queen Story Time with Balena Canto, Maddie Fiks (a LMHS student), Gloss, Kate Dressed Up, and Brittany Lynn. The event will also include other organizations and vendors such as JProud, Holy Trinity Lutheran Church and the Narberth Havurah, African Human Rights Coalition, Sadie Liebo and Emmi Wu (LMHS students selling art), and face painting and nails. The Pride gathering is a family friendly event and will host a kids corner.

The committee has “worked closely with the borough of Narberth to ensure the event runs smoothly.” It has been in the works since August, and while there have been a few bumps in the road, the students ensure that everything is coming together and that it will be a great time for all.

Maya, Sylvie, and the rest of their committee’s purpose of the Pride event is to create a space for queer people to commune, as well as a space to educate allies on LGBTQIA+ issues.

This event will help queer people in Lower Merion feel more comfortable and supported. The teenagers’ other hope is that the fundraiser for the Trevor Project will impact LGBTQ+ teens all over the country, by providing money to train more crisis counselors and educating people on mental health issues.