Tens of thousands are expected to flock to Asbury Park next week for a milestone Pride event.
Jersey Pride, held in the Central Jersey beach town, will mark its 25th anniversary June 5 with a parade and festival featuring performances by “American Idol” winner Jordin Sparks and out comedian Suzanne Westenhoefer, among many others.
The first Pride festivity, in 1992, drew several hundred people — the crowd now typically tops out around 30,000, said Sherri Rase, special-events director for Jersey Pride, Inc.
Rase said that in the last two-plus decades, Asbury Park has undergone a tremendous transformation, and is now home to a vibrant and thriving LGBT community.
“It would be disingenuous to say Pride is responsible for all of the renaissance,” Rase said, “but there’s a lot to be said about showing people the beauty of a community. We’re now a resort community again, and it just so happens that many of the people here are gay folks.”
Over the years, Pride organizers have worked hard to establish good working relationships with city leadership and businesses, Rase said.
“It took us a while to develop relationships with the Asbury Park Town Council but once we got things in place year after year the permitting process became easier and we have a great relationship with the city,” she said. “One of the reasons is because every single year, we leave the park where we have Pride in even better condition than when we got it; we pick up every single piece of trash, every bit of recycling. And it’s not just during Pride; we have always done our part to have a really good working relationship with the city and the businesses in town year-round.”
That relationship-building paid off, as Pride often sees a lot of representation from local business owners and elected officials.
Much of the crowd hails from locales in New Jersey, Rase said.
“This is the hometown festival,” she said. “This is the big show for us and for our residents. It’s also the very first Sunday in June so this is kind of the kickoff of Pride season in the region.”
Rase said she expects tributes to the event’s 25th anniversary from the stage, especially from Westenhoefer, an original participant in the 1992 Pride.
“Suzanne was our first emcee,” Rase said. “She was just making a name for herself back then but she was very generous in giving her time to Jersey Pride and has been ever since. She’s the one who actually asked us about coming back for 25. We were like, ‘Yes, yes, 1,000 times yes!’ She is brilliant to work with, and a pure delight.”
In addition to the performances, the festival will feature more than 150 vendors, a portion of the AIDS Memorial Quilt on display, a family zone and food court. The parade steps off at noon from City Hall, and the festival runs noon-7 p.m. at Fifth and Ocean avenues.
Rase encouraged Philly LGBTs and allies to make the short trip to Asbury to experience its distinctive celebration.
“Every Pride has its own special culture that makes it unique. Jersey Pride is a short train or car ride from Philly. It’s right by the ocean. It’s just a very enjoyable weekend vacation.”
For more information, visit www.jerseypride.org.