Abilene Pride Parade & Festival Marks Fourth Year of Celebration

Downtown Abilene was alive with color on Saturday, September 20, as the city hosted its 4th Annual Pride Parade and Festival. Locals lined the streets to cheer as floats, community groups, and allies marched together.

With the theme this year being “Rainbow Revolution”, the parade began at about noon, passing through downtown before culminating in the Pride Festival at the Abilene Civic Center, which stretched into the evening with music, vendors, and family-friendly activities. Admission was free, and the celebration drew a diverse cross-section of the community from churches to local businesses to drag performers.

Among those in the parade was a group from the Episcopal Church of the Heavenly Rest and their Young Adult Fellowship, joined by McMurry faculty such as Dr. Waters, whom is a clergyman at Heavenly Rest, and Dr. Wahl, another fervent ally. Student leaders from McMurry University’s Sexuality and Gender Alliance (SAGA) student organization such as myself, Dwayne Luster the IVth, and Maddy Beal, were also in the parade and cheering from the sidelines. “Pride was so fun, as it is every year, and I loved seeing so many people come together to celebrate,” Beal said.

 The Abilene Pride Alliance, which organizes the parade and festival, has seen the event expand dramatically since its launch in 2022, each year has brought greater visibility, and more floats. This year’s festival featured live performances, a bustling vendor marketplace, and myriad activities running into the evening. With a strong showing of local organizations of all kinds, Abilene’s Pride Parade continues to establish itself as one of the city’s most vibrant community traditions.

Keep up with McMurry SAGA and their new campus space in Goldstar Dormitory on Instagram @mcmurry_saga and more from Heavenly Rest’s Young Adult Fellowship @heavenlyrest_eya!