It was less than two miles but Cincinnati’s 2023 Pride parade felt like a half marathon. The sun and heat were out along with the crowds.
It started with a small throng of religious protestors with bullhorns saying the most heinous of things. We had kids in our group. Their words were the most inappropriate thing they’d encounter all day.
Then the sides of the streets filled with joy and support. (The photo above doesn’t do the crowds justice. It was the only break as we crossed a wide set of streets connecting dense areas.)
We darted from side to side along the route handing out bags of Skittles and Kind Bars.
When those stocks depleted we switched over to sticker sheets that went over as well as the snacks and candy.
By the time we reached the end our wagons were nearly empty and everyone felt like we’d just done an intense two hour cardio workout.
Pleasantly exhausted we parted ways with the Mars folks and walked to find a streetcar.
I spotted an elderly man as the doors were closing. He was walking away dressed in a military shirt and hat holding a handmade sign that read, “I fought for everyone” with a small rainbow drawn on it.
It was too late to disembark and shake his hand, but capped off a wonderful celebration of all sorts.