First-Ever 'Bucks-Mont PRIDE Festival' Comes to Abington Sunday

ABINGTON, PA — After a crazy year-plus of having to stay clear of others in a public setting due to the unforeseen pandemic, members of the local LGBTQ community are super excited to be gearing up for a pride event taking place right here in Montgomery County.

The first-ever Bucks-Mont PRIDE Festival will be happening on Sunday at the Abington Arts Center, and organizers are looking forward to being able to celebrate – rain or shine.

“Either way, rain or shine, we’re doing it,” Josh Blakesley quipped.

Blakesley is the cofounder and executive director of The Welcome Project PA, which is a program born out of the SAGA Community Center, a Hatboro-based group that describes itself as an “interfaith and no-faith affirming place for all sexualities, genders, and sexes in Montgomery and Bucks County, PA,” according to its website.

SAGA, which stands for Sexuality and Gender Acceptance, was started back in 2017 by a small group of individuals affiliated with a local church accepting of the queer lifestyle, according to Blakesley, who spoke with Patch by phone.

The organization soon started being noticed by people from the area who weren’t really religious, and so it decided to open up to any and all who were supportive of the LGBTQ community.

“Why not create a community center that was LGBT friendly in the Bucks-Mont area,” Blakesley said in an interview.

The organization grew fast, he said, and prior to pandemic it was hosting a variety of events like group meetings and clothing swaps. When the pandemic hit, things like SAGA-sponsored support group meetings turned to the virtual space online.

Blakesley said the goal was for SAGA to be inclusive of various communities throughout the general Greater Philly region, with most focus on Montgomery and Bucks Counties, areas that seemed to lack such a space.

He said much interest has been shown in Sunday’s upcoming event especially because Philadelphia was scheduled to have a pride event that ended up being cancelled due to COVID.

“We were able to do it because of the incredible support that we received from various communities,” Blakesley said.

On its website, The Welcome Project PA says it strives to be a “diverse, safe place for marginalized and vulnerable populations and seeks to bring about positive social change to improve the quality of life for these individuals and families in Greater Philadelphia.”

It says it provides education, support, activities and events, legal services, advocacy, nutrition services, interfaith learning and cooperation and LGBT+ friendly healing, counseling and therapy.

Sponsors for Sunday’s event include the likes of PECO and Montgomery County Community College, as well as Montgomery County LGBT Business Council, the Ambler Counseling Center, the Women’s Center of Montgomery County and others.

The event will take place from 1 p.m. to 6 p.m. and will include performances by a variety of musicians, yoga sessions, food and refreshments and other activities for all members of the family.

The event is free. Abington Arts Center is located at 515 Meetinghouse Road in Jenkintown.

Parking will be available at the art center, as well as at the Abington Friends School Triangle Building at 200 Greenwood Avenue, Jenkintown, and at the Acme market at 323 Old York Road in Jenkintown.

There will be around eight musicians who will take to the stage to perform various numbers during the event.

Food trucks will also be present to offer a variety of food and drink items.