Fri 8/14 @ 5:30PM
Sat 8/15 @ noon
Sun 8/16 @ noon
For the 17th time, the three-day Pagan Pride Festival will take place at its usual off-the-beaten-path spot, the town square in Bedford. It’s a festival that celebrate new age, wiccan and other alternative spiritualities.
It opens Friday evening with the Twisted Witches Dance Troupe at 5:30pm, followed by a drum circle led by the long-running local ensemble Primal Rhythm at 6.
On Saturday at noon, things kick into high gear with an opening ceremony. Primal Rhythm will host another drum circle at 12:30 followed by performances from Ginger Ackley (1:15), Tribe Ostara Tribal Dance (2), finger-style guitarist Brian Henke (2:30), the Elder Goths (3:45), Primal Rhythm (5), Raffle (6), King Fex (7), and Voodoo Funk (8).
Sunday also opens with a noon ceremony, followed by another Primal Rhythm Drum Circle (12:30), bluegrass band The Lucky Ones (1:15), Shuvani Dance (2), Ginger Ackley (2:30), Crooked River Crones Crowning of the Crones (3:10), King Fex (3:30), Raffle (4:30) and — good grief — not here too!— Cleveland’s ubiquitous bluesy soul rockers Apostle Jones at 4:45. The festival concludes with a closing ritual at 6pm.
The event includes workshops each afternoon on topics such as “The Cult of the Spider,” “Beyond Masculine and Feminine: Exploring Ritual Polarity,” “Shadow Work and Self Care,” “Introduction to Druidry” and “Keeping Your Cool: Practical De-Escalation for Everyday Life,” which sounds like something we could all use. There are also vendors who sell items aligned with the event’s spirit and food available for purchase.
Admission is free, but if you are able, they’d like a donation of two non-perishable food items to donate to a local food bank.