Democratic Congressional hopefuls set to flock to Rochester Pride Fest

Clockwise from top left, Lincoln Soldati, Mindi Messmer, Chris Pappas, Naomi Andrews, Terence O'Rourke and Maura Sulllivan. (Courtesy photos),

ROCHESTER - There'll be a whole lotta pride at tomorrow's Pride Festival.

There'll also be a whole lotta politics.

That's right. Tomorrow's Pride Festival - set aside to celebrate the LGBT community, will draw no less than six of the 11 Democratic candidates running for the 1^st Congressional District House seat in Washington this November.

No Republican hopefuls are slated to appear.

The festival, which is expected to be blessed with one of the best weather days of the summer, kicks off at 1 p.m. with a street festival on Hanson Street with vendors and live music, including the New Hampshire Gay Men's Chorus performing in Central Square from 1:30-2 p.m.

From 4-5 p.m. the festivities switch to the Performance and Arts Center at 32 North Main St., where a host of office seekers and others will mark the occasion with celebratory remarks.

Democratic 1^st-district Congressional hopefuls expected to address the crowd include Chris Pappas of the Governor's Executive Council, Maura Sullivan, who worked in Veteran's Affairs and Defense departments during the Obama administration, state rep Mindi Messmer, Rochester City Attorney Terence O'Rourke, Naomi Andrews, former chief of staff for Carol Shea-Porter; and former Strafford County Attorney and Somersworth mayor Lincoln Soldati, On Soldati's campaign website it notes he will be giving the keynote address.

Other speakers include Rochester Mayor Caroline McCarley, Daniel Pontoh from the ACLU of New Hampshire, State Representative Brandon Phinney and State Representative candidate Gerri Cannon.

Pride Day concludes with a dance party at the Performance and Arts Center from 5-10 p.m. with a cash bar.

The mission of Pride Day, according to organizers, is to promote unity, visibility, inclusivity, equality, and a positive image of the ​lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBTQ+) community.
This event is made possible by Rochester Main Street (supported in part by a grant from the New Hampshire State Council On The Arts ​and the National Endowment for the Arts) and SOS Recovery Organization.