4-H at Pride Events

4-H Clover with a rainbow4-H will be participating in Pride festivities in Portland on June 15, 2024.  A pride event is a celebration of the LGBTQIA+ community, the rights won, and recognition of these individuals as existing and loved members of our communities. 4-H will participate in the parade portion by walking with a banner.

Who can participate

Any 4-H member or 4-H volunteer. Friends, family, and 4-H alumni are welcome but must have a 4-H member/volunteer hosting them. 

Where

Parade participants will meet in Portland, on the morning of June 15th.  The parade course typically begins in Monument Square and ends in Deering Oaks Park. Participants will need to be able to walk the entire course to participate. Accommodations may be available by request.

Plan for the day

  • We will gather on Brown Street between Congress Street and Free Street in Portland between Noon – 12:15 pm on the day of the parade. Look for 4-H t-shirts.
  • Every parade participant should check in with Sarah and Alisha (you can give them your forms). You will get your awesome UMaine 4-H Pride T-shirt there!
  • After checking in, we will all walk to the designated spot for UMaine 4-H to await the start of the parade.
  • There will be snacks, activities, and music at our waiting spot. Please bring a refillable water bottle; we will have jugs of water.
  • There probably won’t be any way to charge your phone while waiting so plan accordingly.
  • After the parade ends (at Deering Oaks Park), we will take a few minutes as a group to reflect, then everyone can go enjoy the festival!

Anticipated timeline

Line-up details are subject to change.

  • 11:00 am Pride committee gathers
  • noon – 12:15 pm all participants arrive for check-in. We will gather on Brown Street between Congress Street and Free Street (look for 4-H t-shirts).
  • 12:15 pm parade line-up begins (parade organizers will direct Maine 4-H to our spot in the parade. It may be difficult to find us after this, so be on time!)
  • 1:00 pm parade begins
  • 2:00 pm – 2:30 pm parade ends in Deering Oaks.
  • 2:00 pm – 2:30 pm Participants should be picked up in front of King Middle School.

Participants are invited to stay and enjoy the festival after the parade, but 4-H will not be organizing/coordinating after the end of the parade. Information about other Portland Pride events is available here.  

How to Register

Registration to participate in the 4-H Pride 2024 entry is open to current 4-H members, friends, or family of a current 4-H member, 4-H alumni, volunteers, or Extension staff.  To register, follow this registration link. Please register by Wednesday, June 10.

If you have questions email 4-hpride@maine.edu.

Things to acknowledge

  • This event is a celebration and we encourage you to bring your joy! 
  • What to bring: summer in Portland is hot,  bring water,  sunblock, a bagged lunch and/or snacks, a hat, and money for potential ice cream after the parade. We want you to be and stay well during this event, and to know your body and your body’s needs. Communicate those needs during the event with the planning team. Please also bring any emergency medication you may need. 
  • Communication during the event: planning team contact info will be sent to you prior to the event for easy communication during the event. 
  • What to wear: we will also encourage you to wear your Pride 4-H t-shirt during the event, both for repping our pride, but also for ease and safety to see our people. However, we want you to bring any other costume items (there may be a costume-related prize TBD) and to generally wear what you are comfortable in, reflects you and your pride expression,  and also makes sense as we represent our awesome and beloved organization. 
  • Parking: Plan to arrive early to park and expect to pay to park (typically $5-15). Plan ahead, the parade start and end locations are at least a mile apart. Suggested parking is near King Middle School (where parade ends) or Elm Street Parking Garage (near parade beginning).
  • Bathrooms: These may be difficult to find along the parade route. There are public places, but may only let you use the restroom if you purchase something.
  • Pride is intended to be a fun and educational experience for everyone. As we are creating this event together, we expect all participants to treat each other with respect and good manners.

Suggested things to bring

  • Lunch 
  • Backpack
  • Water bottle
  • Spray mister (if it’s hot)
  • Health Form (if it’s not already submitted) (Maine 4-H Health Form: Word | PDF)
  • Sunscreen
  • Hat
  • Raincoat and/or umbrella
  • Any emergency medication you may need
  • Wear comfortable walking shoes
  • Consider wearing a tank top, or what you’ll be comfortable changing into your t-shirt in
  • $ for ice cream or food at the festival (if you plan to stay)

More information to come! Not able to participate in the parade? There are other ways to support 4-H Pride. Attend the festivities and cheer us on or make a donation to support the costs to participate in the parade. For more information contact 4-hpride@maine.edu.