The OutCenter Southwest Michigan in Benton Harbor has held its first PrideFest in a location outside of the city after a new policy prevented it from booking Dwight P. Mitchell City Center Park on Saturday.
We’ve reported the center tried reserving the park this year for its annual festival, but after problems with protesters last summer, the city has implemented a new rule only allowing official events at the venue. That forced the OutCenter to take PrideFest over to Shadowland Pavilion in St. Joseph for Saturday’s celebration. But OutCenter Director Mary Jo Schnell tells us the event at its new venue was amazing.
“The largest event, by far, that we’ve ever had,” Schnell said. “And the venue was phenomenal. The weather was amazing. The people were awesome. Working with the parks department was wonderful. Local law enforcement, phenomenal.”
Schnell says there were no protesters and more vendors than ever. The OutCenter hired a security firm, following the same plan it pitched to the city of Benton Harbor, and all went well.
Would the OutCenter consider bringing PrideFest back to Benton Harbor in future years?
“We don’t know because we haven’t really been told in any clear way. We did get our first response from their FOIA and we’re starting to sort through what policy really it is and whether or not it is being discriminatory or, and, or biased.”
Schnell says things went so well at Shadowland that she’d like to keep using that venue for PrideFest, but the decision isn’t just up to her. Either way, she’s thrilled with how Saturday went, telling us the event attracted more than 1,000 people. They also gave out an award to St. Joseph Today for helping PrideFest find its new location.
