HOPKINTON'S 3RD ANNUAL PRIDE PARADE & CELEBRATION ON
SUNDAY, JUNE 11, 2023 FROM 1:00 P.M. TO 4:00 P.M.
SUNDAY, JUNE 11, 2023 FROM 1:00 P.M. TO 4:00 P.M.
About the event
The Hopkinton Freedom Team, together with Hopkinton Youth and Family Services and the Hopkinton Center for the Arts, is very proud to be hosting Hopkinton’s 3rd Annual Pride Parade & Celebration.
Parade participants will gather at the Hopkinton Center for the Arts, 98 Hayden Rowe Street, Hopkinton at 12:30 p.m. on June 11, 2023.
The short parade will begin at 1:00 p.m. and go around adjacent streets and neighborhoods.
From 2:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m., there will be family-friendly performances, activities, information tables of local organizations, food trucks and more for all ages!
The 3rd Annual Hopkinton Pride Parade is hosted by the Hopkinton Freedom Team, Hopkinton Youth & Family Services and the Hopkinton Center for the Arts, with support from the Hopkinton Cultural Council, Boston Pride Community Fund, and Middlesex Savings Bank.
Register your group to walk in the parade
We are inviting Hopkinton community individuals and organizations as well as our neighbors and other supporters to participate in the parade that starts at 1:00pm. Groups can include: town organizations, community groups, student groups, sports teams, neighborhood groups!
Invitation to participate in post-parade events & activities
If you or your organization would like to offer an activity, information table, performance or service project at the post-parade celebration from 2:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m., we would greatly appreciate your involvement! Please email info@hopkintonfreedomteam.org with your interest.
PLAYLIST
Stream and enjoy our official "Hopkinton Pride" playlist on Spotify here!
Everything you need to know to prepare
PARADE PARTICIPANTS PRIOR TO THE EVENT:
All groups, organizations and parade participants who have pre-registered for the parade will be emailed important information and updates about the event. This information can also be found on the Hopkinton Freedom Team’s website (www.hopkintonfreedomteam.org) and our social media sites.
ARRIVAL OF PARADE PARTICIPANTS
All parade participants should arrive at the Hopkinton Center for the Arts at 98 Hayden Rowe Street in Hopkinton, MA, 01748 starting at 12:30 p.m. Parking is available in the Hopkinton High School parking lots and at the Hopkinton Middle School parking lots next door to the high school.
Where do I park?
There is plenty of parking in the High School and Middle School parking lots and in the lots on the adjacent Loop Road. The only lot that is not available for attendee parking is the lot next to the Hopkinton Center for the Arts that is shared with the High School. This lot will be for handicap authorized vehicles, volunteers and food trucks only. There will be signs posted and volunteers available to direct people to parking areas.
PREPARING TO PARTICIPATE IN THE PARADE:
If you have signed up to participate with a specific group or organization or would like to do so on the day of the parade, please check in with one of our volunteers at the Check-in Tent at the HCA. Each group or organization has been assigned a number corresponding to their order in the parade line-up. Once you have checked in, organizers will direct you to your group. Volunteers will help everyone line up for the parade and then lead the parade, which will begin promptly at 1:00 p.m..
Please be prepared for the weather! Bring water, sun block, umbrella or whatever else you anticipate needing based on the weather forecast for the afternoon. All events are scheduled to take place outside, even in light rain. In case of inclement weather, then after the outdoor parade, the post-parade celebration will be held indoors in the performance center of the Hopkinton Center for the Arts.
In case a weather emergency or other emergency occurs that prevents the Pride Event from happening at all on June 11th, the organizers will notify all pre-registrants by email. The cancellation notice will also be posted on www.hopkintonfreedomteam.org and the Hopkinton Freedom Team social media sites.
DURING THE PARADE:
At 1:00 p.m. when the Parade will begin, our volunteers will lead the Parade line down the sidewalks north on Route 85 (Grove Street), taking a right on Pleasant Street heading east, and then another right heading south on Hayden Rowe Street on the way back to the Hopkinton Center for the Arts. Police detail will be at the parade route as required. Volunteers and signs will direct people along the route. No cars will be allowed to participate in the parade. The roads will remain open during the parade, so participants are to remain on the sidewalks.
Please do not throw anything on the ground or into the air on the parade route or at the event, such as glitter, streamers or balloons. Please take any trash you generate with you and dispose of it properly. We will be proceeding past homes and businesses and do not want to leave any of our belongings or trash inadvertently on their property. We ask that everyone be kind and respectful to our neighbors.
Parade Route
Is the event free?
A: Yes! The entire event is free. The Hopkinton Freedom Team (HFT), Hopkinton Youth & Family Services (HYFS) and the Hopkinton Center for the Arts (HCA) are hosting this event. We have many volunteers helping with the event as well as additional financial help from various supporters, including a grant from the Hopkinton Cultural Council, Boston Pride Community Fund, and Middlesex Savings Bank.
Are spectators allowed? If so, where should they go?
Yes! Spectators are welcome to come and watch the Parade. The best places to watch the parade are in front of the Hopkinton High School and Hopkinton Middle School as well as the grounds of the Hopkinton Center for the Arts.
What should I wear/bring?
We encourage everyone to wear bright colors. Rainbow colors are especially encouraged! Go crazy! If your organization has organization t-shirts, you are welcome to wear those. The Hopkinton Freedom Team will have event t-shirts for sale, supplies limited. Everyone is encouraged to bring chairs or blankets for the post-parade celebration. Everyone is welcome to make or bring anything you would like to carry during the parade or hold as a spectator, including flags and signs.
Please DO NOT bring anything to throw during the parade, such as glitter, confetti, or sparkles, as it is extremely difficult to remove from the surface of the road and can harm the environment and wetlands around the schools and neighborhood.
Will there be access to the bathroom?
Yes. There are handicap-accessible restrooms inside the Hopkinton Center for the Arts. There will also be a Porta-Potty outside on the HCA grounds; the Porta-Potty may also be handicap-accessible.
AFTER THE PARADE:
Once we return to the Hopkinton Center for the Arts, we will have a Post-Parade celebration to allow all in attendance to soak up the fun atmosphere, enjoy the entertainment, mingle with others and meet supporting organizations. We will have a short welcome from our local town government, music and dance performances, and other activities. There will also be food trucks to purchase food and drinks. This is a family-friendly event for all ages and abilities. No alcohol will be allowed.
Other Frequently asked questions
Q: What should I do if I need help while at the Parade?
A: There will be approximately 20 or more volunteers to help you. The volunteers will be wearing either high-visibility jackets or yellow sashes that say “Volunteer” and will be easily spotted. There will be First Aid kits available during the parade and on the HCA grounds. Employees from the Hopkinton Youth & Family Services will be there who are trained in CPR, and there will be police officers at the event in case of an emergency.
Q: Have you got an official soundtrack for the Parade?
A: Yes, we do! Our “official” Hopkinton Pride Parade playlist is on Spotify. We have used it the last two years and continue to add more great songs. You can find the playlist here: Hopkinton Pride Spotify
Q: What should I do if I still have questions?
A: You can email parade lead organizer Cathleen Dinsmore (cathleen@hopkintonfreedomteam.org) with any questions or concerns.
Q: Why are we having a Pride Parade?
A: We are proud to be hosting Hopkinton’s 3rd Annual Pride Parade. June is commonly referred to as “Pride Month,” and various LGBTQIA+ (Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer, Intersex, Asexual, +) related events are hosted throughout the country to celebrate this community. Pride events are fun and upbeat and centered around celebrating LGBTQIA+ people for who they are. They work to promote greater understanding and acceptance of the LGBTQIA+ community. They help highlight visibility for and inclusion of LGBTQIA+ people, welcoming them to come as they are and as an important part of our community. Pride events are celebrations of love as the most beautiful and powerful thing.
Q: When/Where will this year’s Parade take place?
A: The Parade will take place on Sunday June 11, 2023 at 1:00 p.m. The parade route will begin at the Hopkinton Center for the Arts (HCA) at 98 Hayden Rowe Street and will run on the sidewalks going north on Route 85 (Grove Street), taking a right on Pleasant Street heading east, and then another right heading south on Hayden Rowe Street, and returning to the HCA. All parade participants should arrive at 12:30 p.m. at the HCA to check-in and line up for the parade if they are participating in the parade with a specific group or organization. There will be a post-Parade celebration at the HCA from 2:00 – 4:00 p.m. after the parade.
Q: I want to participate in the parade. Do I need to pre-register?
A: While it is not necessary to register as an individual participant, we would very much appreciate your pre-registering, as it helps the organizers plan for the event. If you would like to participate with a specific group or organization, we ask that you please register ahead of time, so the organizers can plan a spot for your organization in the parade. Please find the registration form here: Parade registration form.
All are welcome to attend as a parade participant or a participant in the post-parade activities!
Q: I want to help with the Pride Event. How can I help?
A: We definitely can’t do this without our volunteers and sponsors! Please email lead organizer Cathleen Dinsmore (cathleen@hopkintonfreedomteam.org) if you or your organization want to help before, during and/or after the Pride event. Thank you!
Q: I/we signed up to participate in the parade, but cannot make it after all.
A: We would appreciate it if you could let our event organizers know. We’d like to stay updated with our expected turnout numbers to help us plan. Please email lead organizer Cathleen Dinsmore (cathleen@hopkintonfreedomteam.org) to let her know.
Q: How many people will be at the event?
A: We expect between 300-500 people at the event, depending on the weather.
Q: Will the event be filmed?
A: TBD.
Q: What should I do with trash?
A: We kindly ask that you please take any trash with you when you leave the event or place it in one of the garbage bags that will be available at the event.
LGBTQIA+
In celebration of June as "Pride Month", various events are hosted throughout our country to celebrate the LGBTQIA+ communities! LGBTQIA+ stand for Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer, Intersex, Asexual, and the plus "+" denotes all other sub-communities. Pride events are fun and upbeat gatherings centered around celebrating LGBTQIA+ people for who they are. These events work to promote greater understanding and acceptance of LGBTQIA+ people along with highlighting visibility which serves to reaffirm LGBTQIA+ people as equally present and integral members of our community. Pride events celebrate the two most important things: People and Love!