The tremendous efforts of Spencer Pride’s planning for the 2021 Spencer Pride Festival clearly paid off on Saturday. Guests flooded downtown Spencer for the event and shared high praise throughout the afternoon.
“Our festival was scheduled to start at noon and yet the streets were filled with guests starting around 10 AM,” explained Kate Gehringer, the festival’s marketplace coordinator.
Festival attendees loved the outdoor marketplace, which was spread across three city blocks in Spencer’s historic downtown. A record 110 vendors participated in this year’s marketplace, with the only complaint at the end of the day simply that many vendors had sold out of product. The 2021 Spencer Pride Festival Marketplace was sponsored by C.H. Douglas & Gray Wealth Management.
While the crowds filled the streets, it also spilled into local businesses. The Spencer Pride commUnity center was, not surprisingly, the most popular of the indoor venues.
“It was nonstop foot traffic all day long,” said Spencer Pride volunteer Marlin Howard. Howard staffed the register at the commUnity center for several hours and volunteered his time at the booth for the Unitarian Universalist Church of Bloomington. Howard, like many of Spencer Pride’s volunteers, donates his time to several organizations that are working to help make the world a better place.
The center was filled with activities all day, including raffles, a 50/50 drawing, and shopping at their retail store. The retail shop at Spencer Pride features products from a variety of artists and craftspeople, all from within Indiana and most from Owen and surrounding counties.
Although there were hiccups in the morning of the event due to the unexpected early crowd, organizers of the 2021 Spencer Pride Festival couldn’t be happier with the turnout and the feedback from attendees.
“We appreciate all of those who came out to this year’s event,” said Kim Fidler, Spencer Pride’s secretary.
Fidler went on: “This year’s theme was Together Again, and it certainly felt like that theme resonated with those who turned out for Spencer Pride. People understand the value of in-person connection. We are proud to have responsibly brought the community together at a time when we all need it.”