LANCASTER, Pa. — The 15th annual Lancaster Pride Festival is back and bigger than ever.
On Saturday, the festival will take place in the Lancaster County Convention Center.
Lancaster Pride says they are expecting more than 5,000 attendees. The organization says that their message for this year's festival is simple: Love trumps hate.
"We will not back down; we're gonna celebrate who we are," said Tiffany Shirley, president of Lancaster Pride. "Regardless of any person's feelings towards us, we're here, we're proud and we're gonna keep partying and having fun and celebrating who we are.”
Guests can walk through the convention center and visit nearly 200 LGBTQIA+ vendors and businesses.
Vendors said this weekend is more than just showing off their organizations. They want to be immersed into the community.
"We wanna make sure that everyone is included and represent everybody," said Mars Dvorak, co-owner of Pride Painters. "To see the excitement of everyone wearing their flag, it's really, really heartwarming."
Guests can also watch drag performances during the festival.
Samuel Castro performed at the festival for several years. He said he is excited to give people an opportunity he never had.
“I grew up in the 90s... when queer people were starting to get accepted but not quite yet," said Castro. "I don’t remember a time growing up when someone could bring me a smile and make me feel safe. Being able to look into someone's eyes and saying, 'I'm giving you a little bit of hope and things will be okay for your future,' is something that means the world to me."
He also said these drag performances are more important than ever.
“For me to put on this performance means that I am utilizing any small platform that I have," said Castro. "I think the biggest thing at the moment is, while people want to take a step back, we must take three steps forward."
This festival is the largest fundraising event for Lancaster Pride. However, organizers say the most important part on Saturday is creating a safe place for everybody to enjoy.
"We want to see everybody come. Allies, the queer community, anybody who wants to come and celebrate, you are welcome,” said Shirley. "Regardless of how you're feeling or if you're learning who you are, we welcome you with open arms... we're here to celebrate you and we appreciate you and we love you.”