Culture & Community | LGBTQ | Arts & Culture | Youth Arts Journalism Initiative | Madison | Pride
Harris Falk, who Saturday was a first-time attendee at Madison's Pride Fest. Ruby Szekeres Photos.
Even in a sea of rainbows, it was easy to spot Harris Falk in a rainbow-striped three piece suit, the color nearly vibrating against the Madison Town Green. With a rainbow top hat and matching umbrella, Falk seemed to float through the space, radiating light. As he strolled gayly across the grass, some people stopped to ask for pictures while others admired it from afar.
Falk was in good company: other attendees wore capes, Pride flags, rainbow t-shirts, headwear and accessories to celebrate the day. Even dogs sported rainbow collars.
Saturday, Falk was one of hundreds (and in his case, a newbie to the event) to attend Madison’s sixth annual Pride Fest, held on the sprawling town green as a late summer sun shone down on the crowd. Organized by Madison CT Pride, the festivities included live entertainment, drag performances, guest speakers and over 90 vendors.
“We brought Pride Fest here to strengthen our community, but really, it's about everyone,” said Madison CT Pride President Michael D’Agostino, there as his drag alter ego, Shaneeda Razor.
Top: Madison CT Pride committee members Bob Donahue (Treasurer), Michael D'Agostino (President), Michael Carrano (Co-Vice President), and Drew Sellitti (Secretary). Bottom: The Countess herself.
On stage, Shaneeda introduced special guests, from the Hartford Gay Men’s Chorus to performers including the Countess Mascara, drag queen Iris, Brandy Alexander, and speakers Coco LaChine and State Sen. Christine Cohen.
The performances, by and large, did the rest of the talking. Onstage, the Countess Mascara had a black feathery coat draped over her as she sang Katrina and the Waves’ “Walking On Sunshine,” leaning into the crowd as they belted the lyrics back at her. With a dramatic flourish, she shed the feathers to reveal a cloud-like dress, the colors of the rainbow mixing in an airy tulle across the front.
“Seeing so many people come out to this pride fest just made me so happy,” she said in an interview afterwards, as the smell of popcorn swirled and music pumped over the Madison Town Green. While the performance marked her first time at the town’s Pride celebrations, she was excited to be there to reconnect with Michael Carrano, who serves as the organization’s co-vice president.
As those on stage sang their hearts out, vendors like Jay Bartholomew of JaNoBa Studios used visual arts and storytelling to encourage kindness and acceptance in Madison and across the state.
Inspired by both the sea and the different sections of Daniel Quasar’s Progress Pride flag, Bartholomew created vibrant landscapes with acrylic paint for a “Pride” series, marrying his love for the natural world and his belief in LGBTQIA+ safety and visibility. The artist has been painting since 2008 and identifies as an ally.
Other vendors offered a wide variety of jewelry, decorations, greeting cards, crochet creatures and Pride Fest memorabilia. One tent even offered free face paint for all.
“My favorite part of Pride Fest has to be the shopping!” said Kasey Chen, who has come every year with a group of friends.
“Seriously, the shopping is great,” Red Vuolo chimed in, while rocking the blue, pink and white trans pride flag like a superhero cape.. “Especially because it's like window shopping, but it’s also important to be able to see the community and be able to show our pride.”
Top: Friends Kasey Chen, Amber Kiltter, Red Vuolo and Robbie Ginsburg. Bottom: Handcrafted By Heart.
A particularly popular vendor was Handcrafted By Heart, an open tent run by Jim Steyer and his partner, Amanda Steyer. On every surface and propped up on the sides of the tent, reclaimed wooden pallets served a second life in colorful messages. The Steyers have been spreading the love in Madison since the beginning of Pride Fest, Jim said; Amanda does the painting and he constructs the signs.
Across the tent, the signs offered slogans and affirmations like “Remember That You Are Valued,” “You Are Enough” and “You Matter.” Some were the size of a plate, while one special sign was the size of a television set.
This year, Shaneeda said, the planning committee also worked to make the day family-friendly. Kids who made their way to the fest went home with new bubble wands, tasked with sending luminescent bubble rainbows into the sky before the afternoon was over.
It was an assignment that the day’s youngest attendees took seriously. One girl started to twirl with her wand, sending a cascade of bubbles into the crowd. Her pastel-colored skirt billowed out like a ballerina’s. Another child waved her wand in a heart motion, making some especially lovely rainbows. Of course, drag queen Iris couldn’t be left out, sending her own bubbles into the sky.
Nearby, the spirit of Pride Fest exploded in messages left on a whiteboard. That morning, it had started out largely bank, with a prompt that read simply “Queer Is …”
To the words, visitors had done the rest. By the mid afternoon, messages appeared, boldly suggesting that Madison’s LGBTQ+ community is all about acceptance. The words multiplied: Freedom. Gorgeous. My best friend. My brother. My child.
One message captured it all: Queer is normal.
This article comes from a graduate of the 2024 Cohort of the Youth Arts Journalism Initiative. Ruby Szekeres is a rising junior at the Sound School.