Parade attendees marched down Main Street chanting, "Sylva! Pride!"
Over the weekend, a Pride parade was held in Sylva for the second year in a row. More than 500 people turned out for the all-day event on Saturday. Local artists, Western Carolina University, local businesses and more set up booths at Bridge Park to share information and celebrate the LGBTQ+ community.
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Over 500 people turned out for Sylva Pride. This was the second year that the event was hosted in September.
Lilly Knoepp
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Over 500 people turned out for Sylva Pride. This was the second year that the event was hosted in September.
Lilly Knoepp
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Over 500 people turned out for Sylva Pride. This was the second year that the event was hosted in September.
Lilly Knoepp
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Over 500 people turned out for Sylva Pride. This was the second year that the event was hosted in September.
Lilly Knoepp
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Over 500 people turned out for Sylva Pride. This was the second year that the event was hosted in September.
Lilly Knoepp
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Over 500 people turned out for Sylva Pride. This was the second year that the event was hosted in September.
Lilly Knoepp
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Over 500 people turned out for Sylva Pride. This was the second year that the event was hosted in September.
Lilly Knoepp
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Over 500 people turned out for Sylva Pride. This was the second year that the event was hosted in September.
Lilly Knoepp
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Over 500 people turned out for Sylva Pride. This was the second year that the event was hosted in September.
Lilly Knoepp
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Over 500 people turned out for Sylva Pride. This was the second year that the event was hosted in September.
Lilly Knoepp
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Over 500 people turned out for Sylva Pride. This was the second year that the event was hosted in September.
Lilly Knoepp
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Over 500 people turned out for Sylva Pride. This was the second year that the event was hosted in September.
Lilly Knoepp
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Over 500 people turned out for Sylva Pride. This was the second year that the event was hosted in September.
Lilly Knoepp
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Over 500 people turned out for Sylva Pride. This was the second year that the event was hosted in September.
Lilly Knoepp
During the parade, attendees held flags representing the LGBTQ+ community and signs calling for the protection of trans youth as they marched down Main Street. The crowd chanted:
“When I say Sylva, you say Pride." "SYLVA!" "PRIDE!" SYLVA!" "PRIDE!”
Onlookers cheered and took pictures of the event. There were local musicians throughout the day and a family friendly drag performance at 2:30 pm. During the event, Vivica DuPree was crowned Miss Sylva Pride.
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A crowd gathered at Bridge Park to watch drag performers during Sylva Pride.
Lilly Knoepp
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A crowd gathered at Bridge Park to watch drag performers during Sylva Pride.
Lilly Knoepp
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A crowd gathered at Bridge Park to watch drag performers during Sylva Pride.
Lilly Knoepp
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A crowd gathered at Bridge Park to watch drag performers during Sylva Pride.
Lilly Knoepp
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A crowd gathered at Bridge Park to watch drag performers during Sylva Pride.
Lilly Knoepp is Senior Regional Reporter for Blue Ridge Public Radio. She has served as BPR’s first fulltime reporter covering Western North Carolina since 2018. She is from Franklin, NC. She returns to WNC after serving as the assistant editor of Women@Forbes and digital producer of the Forbes podcast network. She holds a master’s degree in international journalism from the City University of New York and earned a double major from UNC-Chapel Hill in religious studies and political science.
