With the event starting slow and people trickling in throughout the morning and early afternoon, Festival Gay Latino organizer Tonya Martin said the heat didn’t prevent anyone from eventually attending as crowds grew in the early evening.
“The attendance reached over 2,000 before Vilma Cruz [y La Sonora] hit the the main stage,” Martin said.
Other organizer Kim Maddox said in a press release, “If there is anything that we wish people walked away with, it would be feeling pride in their community It’s not every day that we get the opportunity to be surrounded by a loving and safe environment to express who we are, so events like this are important for our growth as individuals and a community.”
The event was also a job generator—and aspect that Martin found to be one of the most rewarding.
“Everyday I meet someone that needs a job. This event gave us the opportunity to create jobs and I hope that we continue to grow to bring more employment in the future. A pay day always makes a great day,” stated Martin.
Below, you can regard photos from the event. All photos courtesy of Sara Hanson and Vannia Photography.
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