Via Community News Service, a University of Vermont journalism internship
WINOOSKI — Rotary Park was adorned with rainbow flags, balloons and a lively musical beat as area residents marked the city’s fifth annual Pride Block Party.
The early evening event, hosted Sept. 16 by the nonprofit Downtown Winooski in celebration of the LGBTQIA+ community, featured Vermont-based drag performers and child-friendly activities, including bubble wands and chalk art.
Jillian Comeau, who performs as DJ “GAYBAR,” spun tunes from start to finish. Her tracks filled the park and brought in a sizable audience — some of whom danced along.
Comeau said Pride represents the “massive queer community” within the small city of Winooski, which she moved to in 2020. She has played “almost all” of the area’s Pride events, including those in Burlington and Essex Junction.
“I kind of basked around a little bit,” Comeau said. “(I like) the community … (it’s) just an excuse to get people out.”
In addition to working as a DJ, Comeau is also a current member of the band We Should’ve Been Plumbers and formerly of Like a Motorcycle.
“DJ-ing … was an easy way to get back into music and performing,” she said. After Comeau moved to Winooski, she was no longer involved with Like a Motorcycle, but DJ-ing was something that she could do by herself.
At about the halfway mark of the Pride celebration, Comeau’s DJ-ing paused for guest appearances by Vermont-based drag artists who perform under the names Prisma Pallet, Pete Zapparti and Alexis Tentialcrisis.
Tentialcrisis was asked to perform by fellow Vermont-based performer, Sasha Sriracha, who was unable to attend.
“I just want people to have fun,” Tentialcrisis said, and that her main goal for the evening was for people to feel community.
As a Winooski resident, Tentialcrisis frequents the nearby Monkey House venue for performances, but this was their first time performing at Winooski Pride.
“I don’t do a lot of outdoor stuff,” said Tentialcrisis. Winooski Pride is different from what he is used to — he also doesn’t typically perform at family-friendly venues like Pride.
Despite this, her mash-up of Celine Dion and Kelly Clarkson drew uproarious applause — and some cash — from the audience.
The performances before Tentialcrisis — Prisma Pallet and Pete Zapparti — were also hits. Audience members of all ages cheered loudly for the performers’ lip-syncing of Lady Gaga and other artists.
More than a dozen organizations, including Downtown Winooski, hosted tables or booths at the party.
Downtown Winooski also hosts other events such as Juneteenth, Halloween and the Farmers Market, according to Sarah Brunkhorst, an event organizer for the group.
“Halloween is probably my favorite,” she said.
Brunkhorst said she has worked with Downtown Winooski for four years, with this being her second time helping put on Pride.
She moved to Winooski around three years ago, having grown up in rural Missouri. With a population of just more than 8,000, Winooski felt like a “big city,” Brunkhorst said
“People are welcoming in a way that they wouldn’t be in … other urban areas,” she said.
According to Brunkhorst, what makes Winooski Pride memorable is seeing the community celebrate themselves and each other, and recognizing how far LGBTQIA+ rights have come.
“It’s amazing to just see all this joy,” she said.