Bedford’s LGBTQIA+ community was celebrated at our first-ever town centre Pride event on Saturday (5 September).
The event was organised by Rainbow Bedfordshire and The Barley Mow, with sponsorship from The Harpur Trust and The University of Bedfordshire, and featured a packed line-up of entertainment throughout the day.
Bedford Borough Council was involved first with helping to organise the event, and then with The Harpur Suite hosting stalls featuring local artists and community organisations as well as live entertainment and Q&A panels, all with BSL interpretation, while Bedford Central Library hosted creative workshops.
Outside on stage there was live music and performances before an enthusiastic crowd dancing in Harpur Square.
Later in the day celebrations continued at The Bear and The Standard in the High Street, followed by an afterparty in the Barley Mow.
Councillor Andrea Spice, Portfolio Holder for Economic Prosperity, Planning, Housing and Regulatory Services, said; “We’re delighted to have been a part of Bedford Borough’s first-ever Pride event.
“Over the last six months we’ve been involved in helping to ensure this fantastic event came to town, liaising with the organisers and police, sharing our expertise of hosting and planning.
“Bedford Borough is a welcoming and vibrant place, with so many groups and communities all living side by side to make this such a fantastic place to live, work and socialise in.”