Union County Pride hosted its 4th Annual Pride Festival on Saturday, October 11, from noon to 6 p.m. at Crossing Paths Park in Indian Trail.
The free, family-friendly festival featured live entertainment, drag performances, food trucks, games, and dozens of local vendors and community organizations. Organizers confirmed the event offered an inclusive environment where LGBTQ+ residents and allies gathered to celebrate visibility, connection and pride.
Union County Pride Inc., founded in 2022, is the leading nonprofit organization working to promote a thriving LGBTQ+ community in Union County, North Carolina. The group’s mission focuses on three main goals: supporting youth and young adults, promoting inclusive local businesses, and helping diverse communities grow stronger together.
A major part of that work includes supporting students through Gender and Sexuality Alliance (GSA) clubs in local high schools. The organization provides funding to schools that want to form GSAs but lack the resources to do so. Union County Pride also highlights LGBTQ+-affirming businesses and encourages residents to support local companies that share values of inclusion and equality.
This year’s festival showcased local artisans, small businesses and advocacy groups through vendor booths and resource tables.
Sponsors included Careforth, Atrium Health, ViiV Healthcare, PFLAG Charlotte, Myers Park Baptist Church, Stonewall Sports, Pauli Murray LGBTQ+ Bar Association and several other community partners.
Festival organizers encouraged attendees to bring donations for the Community Shelter of Union County, which provides emergency housing, food and rehousing support. Non-perishable food, hygiene products, and other essential items were collected on-site to assist the shelter’s ongoing efforts.
In addition to Saturday’s festivities, Union County Pride will host several companion events the month, including a Candidate Meet-up that offers residents an opportunity to connect with local political candidates in an open, informal setting.
The organization is also holding an online auction from October 3 through October 31, featuring donated items that raise funds for future programming and community outreach.
Since its founding, Union County Pride has built an annual celebration that blends visibility, education and joy. The festival continues to serve as one of Union County’s most visible expressions of LGBTQ+ pride, affirming that inclusion and community belong to everyone.
To learn more about the festival or support Union County Pride’s ongoing work, visit unioncountypride.org or email unioncountypride@gmail.com.
This story was updated Oct. 16, 2025.