Greenbelt’s Second Annual Pride Festival earlier this month was a joyful and inspiring event, a feel-good happening I didn’t know I needed until suddenly I did. A sentiment no doubt shared by the large crowd.

Seeing some very competent photographers and videographers at the event, I stopped taking them myself, except for snapping this cute dog all dolled-up for Pride.

But the image above of drag performer CoCo with children I screen-grabbed from the outstanding 6-minute video of the event produced by Greenbelt Access TV, which is embedded below. To me, the dog and especially the kids convey how inclusive the Pride spirit is here in Greenbelt – and joyfully free of scare-mongering about drag queens.

GATe executive director Phoebe McFarb created the video using footage taken by station manager Sheila Tilert and board member Michael McMillan. There was a lot to cover in a highlights video – the politicians, the band, the parade, the performers and participants – and it’s all there!

To start Pride Month on the right foot here in Greenbelt, the city also held a flag-raising ceremony, which was also covered by GATe, this time by board member and veteran videographer John Campanile. Above is my favorite image from the video, embedded below.

Greenbelt Pride as of 2014

This blog featured Greenbelt Pride – the organization, not the festival – back in 2014. The article quotes Frank DeBernardo, who founded the organization way back in 2005.