Once again, Asbury Park showed their Pride in full force as the LGBTQ community of New Jersey & beyond converged on this historic shore town for the 28th annual Jersey Pride Festival. The annual parade was held at noon at Main Street and Cookman Avenue in Asbury Park.
“Pride is important because it’s about visibility,” says Christian Fuscarino, Executive Director of Garden State Equality. “LGBTQ people are invisible in a lot of spaces and this is a festival, a month, a community, to come together and be visible.”
The event had gorgeous weather, with vendors selling LGBT themed gear, businesses geared towards the community, a children’s area for little festival goers, and speakers and performers throughout the event. 70’s disco queen France Joli (“Come To Me”) capped off the event singing her classic for a packed crowd.
The festivities continues at the local establishments in town, with Paradise, Georgies’, and a number of other restaurants and bars in town receiving record numbers of customers throughout the day.