The Hartford Courant: Pups and Pride Parade, a dragfest and a Pride Picnic

The Shops at Farmington Valley hosted the first Pups & Pride parade on Saturday; participants walked with their dogs from the Canton Dog Park to the shopping center.

People walked with their dogs in a Pups & Pride parade in Canton last weekend, a Pride family picnic in Avon brought out more than 100 people and West Hartford is preparing for a drag fest June 26 at Blue Back Square.

This year’s Pride Month might be the busiest yet in the Farmington Valley, and in several towns there’s a special backdrop: Hundreds of rainbow lawn signs

Avon High School freshman Julia Gordon created the design earlier this year for Avon, featuring the words “Avon cares” with a rainbow background. In recent weeks she created customized versions for nearby towns where residents wanted them, said Dan Polhamus, organizer of the campaign.

“We’re around 540 in Avon, 160 in Farmington, and around 150 in Canton,” Polhamus reported this week. “Simsbury is around 100, but picking up steam.”

Read Full Article by Don Stacom for The Hartford Courant