By Kevin Ferrisi –

MIDDLETOWN, CONNECTICUT – Middletown PrideFEST, widely recognized as Connecticut’s largest Pride celebration, returns to Main Street on Saturday, June 6, for its eighth annual event, bringing with it a full day of programming expected to draw more than 30,000 attendees. The free, family-friendly festival will feature a Pride rally, showcase concerts, and a high-energy tea dance, alongside hundreds of vendors lining the street.

Organizers have designed the event with a broad audience in mind, offering dedicated spaces for families, 21-plus cocktail areas, and block parties geared toward both youth and the transgender community. Accessibility remains a priority, with resources such as ASL interpretation available throughout the day. Adding to the festivities, three local drag performers will return as hosts, helping guide the celebration and keep the energy moving from start to finish.

Organizers have invited back the same hosts and performers as last year in recognition of their outstanding dedication, delivering exceptional performances despite severe weather and heavy downpours. Hosts Kiki Lucia, Giganta Smalls, and Felicity V. Lay will take the stage on the town green at the end of Main Street, guiding the day’s festivities. The trio is set to lead audiences through a packed lineup that includes DJ sets, drag performances, and live music, keeping the celebration moving and reflecting the spirit of the community throughout the day.

Meet the hosts

Kiki Lucia

Kiki Lucia is celebrating a major milestone this year, marking ten years of her signature show Let’s Have A Kiki, which has grown into a cornerstone of Connecticut’s drag scene. What began as a small local production has evolved into a long-running series known for bringing together drag, burlesque, and gender-bending performers while fostering a welcoming space for both artists and audiences, with extended runs in New Haven and Hartford. Kiki Lucia’s connection to the scene dates back to 2004, when she first got involved behind the scenes before stepping into the spotlight as a performer. For Kiki, drag is more than performance; it reflects the core of queer identity and culture, shaped by her background in art and theater as a lasting form of cultural expression. Over the years, her career has included notable moments such as sharing the stage with Kesha at Foxwoods in 2023 and producing an educational drag show for the International Festival of Arts and Ideas, highlighting LGBTQ+ history and the contributions of Black, Brown, and trans communities.

Giganta Smalls

Giganta Smalls began her journey into drag fourteen years ago while studying theatre in college, where an unexpected opportunity to play a female lead in a Pulp Fiction parody helped reshape her sense of performance. What started as a single role soon grew into a deeper exploration of femininity on stage, leading to more roles in college and local productions before she found a lasting home within the drag community. After graduating, she found her way into the drag community, where she discovered both a sense of belonging and the freedom to express herself openly. Alongside her work as a performer, Giganta Smalls developed a strong passion for costume design, beginning with creating pieces for youth theatre camps and gradually refining her craft into professional work. Her talents have since been recognized in local theatre circles, earning her nominations for the 2024 and 2025 BroadwayWorld Connecticut Awards and establishing her as a creative force both on stage and behind the scenes.

Felicity V. Lay

Felicity V. Lay recently wrapped an ambitious run of seven days and nine shows at The Bushnell, where she presented a week of one-woman performances after being invited by Kinky Boots. Since beginning her drag career in April 2022, Felicity V. Lay has quickly established herself as both a performer and community advocate, serving as host for Enfield Pride and working to create spaces centered on visibility and inclusion. Felicity is committed to creating spaces where people can express themselves openly and with pride, while also advocating for equal rights and helping others better understand LGBTQ+ culture. A lifelong performer who grew up dancing and acting, she found her path into drag after seeing Kinky Boots, inspired by its bold style and storytelling. Today, she continues to perform across the region while also often hosting Thursday night open stage events at Chez Est in Hartford, using her platform to support emerging artists and connect with the community.

How PrideFEST started

Middletown Pride began in 2018 after Christopher Forte, then Assistant General Counsel for the City of Middletown, proposed that the city fly the Pride flag at City Hall for Pride Month, a request that marked the first time the flag had been raised there. The response from the community was strong enough that Forte and Mayor Daniel T. Drew expanded the idea into a full citywide celebration, working alongside the Middlesex County Chamber of Commerce and Wesleyan University, both of which remain key partners today. A formal LGBTQ+ Task Force was created that October to guide the effort, and by June 2019 Middletown hosted its first Pride parade and festival, drawing an estimated 15,000 people and quickly establishing itself as one of the largest Pride events in Connecticut.

What is Middletown Pride?

Middletown Pride has grown well beyond its original festival roots, becoming a year-round effort focused on visibility, support, and community care. What began with a city-supported LGBTQ task force has since developed into the official LGBTQIA+ Commission of Middletown, which now helps guide programming throughout the year alongside leaders such as Brianna Skowera. In recent years, that work has taken on new urgency in response to rising anti-LGBTQ+ sentiment and violence, including the Club Q shooting and annual observances like Trans Day of Remembrance. Events such as a 2023 community dinner have also given residents space to share concerns and help shape the organization’s direction, reinforcing its ongoing commitment beyond Pride Month.

That expanded mission now includes more than 25 events each year, ranging from educational workshops and social gatherings to legal clinics and name change assistance. Working with local partners like the Back Again Board Game Café in Middletown, organizers host recurring game nights, art nights, and sexual health education sessions, along with conversations featuring guests such as Montana Representative Zooey Zephyr and journalist Erin Reed. Middletown Pride has also built out a grants program supporting organizations like Q+ and PeerPride, helping fund peer-led spaces for LGBTQ+ youth, trans, and non-binary communities. Alongside these public-facing programs, the organization’s work has also influenced city culture internally, contributing to workplace training and inclusion efforts that, by 2022, helped at least one city employee feel safe enough to come out and transition on the job.

Join the celebration

Middletown PrideFEST returns on Saturday, June 6, 2026, marking its eighth year as Connecticut’s largest Pride celebration. Organizers expect more than 30,000 people to fill Main Street for a full day of marching, music, and community connection, continuing the festival’s focus on visibility and inclusion. This year’s main stage will be hosted by three Connecticut drag performers, including Kiki Lucia, Giganta Smalls, and Felicity V. Lay, who will help guide the day’s performances and celebrations with a mix of personality and experience. Alongside the festivities, PrideFEST continues to position itself as more than a street festival, serving as a gathering point for LGBTQIA+ visibility, reflection, and community at a time when both celebration and advocacy remain closely linked.

This year’s Grand Marshals for Middletown PrideFEST include Jennifer Billingsley, a non-binary librarian and longtime community advocate whose work in Connecticut has focused on building inclusive spaces and elevating voices that have often been left out of public life. Also serving as Grand Marshal is John Pepe, owner of Chez Est, central Connecticut’s long-running LGBTQ+ bar, restaurant, and cabaret venue. Open for nearly 50 years, Chez Est in Hartford has become a cornerstone of nightlife and a familiar gathering place for the community, known for supporting drag performers from across the country.

For more information visit: www.middletownpride.org