Mercantile begins 6th annual Pride Week on Monday in Rock Hill. See the schedule
In honor of Pride Month, The Mercantile general store in Rock Hill has organized a week of events beginning Monday night and ending June 22.
While various events are taking place over the week, the main event, the outdoor Pride festival, occurs on Saturday, June 21.
The Mercantile has organized over 150 vendors, performances and activities for the outdoor Pride festival for community members to participate in.
“This is our sixth year hosting Pride here in Rock Hill. We feel like our community needs it more than ever, especially during these times, just wanting to feel a sense of belonging here in Rock Hill, especially in the South,” said Brittany Kelly, owner of The Mercantile and founder of Rock Hill Pride.
“I’ve spoken with many people who felt like they had to leave Rock Hill just to be their true selves. So it’s wonderful that we, as The Mercantile, can put this on along with our community members and fellow business people. It’s not an event ran by the city, so this is strictly just volunteers and businesses and families that donate money to put this festival on, and each year it grows and grows.
“Last year we had about 20,000 people, so this year we’re hoping for ... the same or bigger turnout.”
Rock Hill Pride Events
Main Street Theatre Pride Plays: June 16 and 17 at 7:30 p.m. at 145 White St. East.
March 4 Equality: June 18 from 5 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. at 145 White St. East.
Pride & Prose: June 18 from 7:30 to 9:30 p.m. at Rock Hill Brewing, 121 Caldwell St.
Don’t Hide Your Pride Juried Art Exhibition: June 19 at 7 p.m. upstairs at The Mercantile.
Kaleidoscope Court | Queer Youth Prom: June 20 from 7 to 10 p.m. upstairs at The Mercantile.
Mister & Miss Rock Hill Pride Pageant: June 20 from 11 p.m. to 1 a.m. at The Hideaway.
Rock Hill Pride Outdoor Festival: June 21 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. in downtown Rock Hill, 121 Caldwell St.
Buff Faye’s Drag Brunch: June 22 from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. at The Kounter, 135 East Main Street, Suite 101.
What is Pride Month?
Pride Month is an observance dedicated to the LGBTQ+ community. From June 1 to June 30, people globally celebrate Pride in various ways, showing support.
According to the Library of Congress, the first “Pride Parades” started as a response to the one-year anniversary of the six-day-long police brutality raids on LGBTQ+ individuals in New York City in June of 1969, known as the Stonewall Uprising. Marches were also held in New York City, Los Angeles, and Chicago in 1970, where thousands came together to advocate for LGBTQ+ rights.
Although June was not officially recognized as Pride Month until 1994, the community had been celebrating long before.
Pride Month has experienced significant growth in both participation and recognition over the past few decades. The first name given to Pride Month was “Gay and Lesbian month” by President Bill Clinton. It changed to “LGBTQ Pride Month” under President Barack Obama’s administration and then to “LGBTQ+ Pride Month” under President Joe Biden’s administration.
