Ellsworth Pride
Ellsworth Pride Festival 2026
Sunday, June 7 | 11:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. | Knowlton Park, Ellsworth
Ellsworth Pride Festival has been a vibrant annual community celebration at Knowlton Park since 2021, bringing people together to celebrate inclusion, connection, and pride. This joyful, welcoming event features local small business vendors, nonprofit and LGBTQIA+ organizations, live performances, inspiring speakers, and an Ellsworth High School community art installation.
“This helped my mental health because I feel different and like I don’t fit in anywhere. After going to Ellsworth Pride I saw that there were so many different kinds of people and nobody was judging anyone else there. Everyone was accepted, even me.”
One of the largest public spring gatherings in Ellsworth, attracting over 600 attendees each year, the festival creates opportunities for meaningful, inclusive connection across ages and backgrounds. Held in the heart of the city, it encourages intergenerational conversation, learning, and cultural discovery within walking distance of downtown and nearby neighborhoods. The festival offers a flexible, supportive space where people can come and go throughout the day and feel comfortable being themselves close to home. It also draws attendees from across the region, welcoming participants from throughout our broad geographic area.
Event highlights include youth activities such as drag queen story time and a public art installation led by the Ellsworth High School Gender and Sexuality Diversity Alliance (GSDA); a stage featuring LGBTQIA+ leaders and performers; food vendors; an LGBTQIA+-focused marketplace; a nonprofit information fair; and public health outreach with relevant resources for LGBTQIA+ individuals. The festival is open and inclusive to all, with no cost to attend for individuals, nonprofits, or small businesses.
For more information about Ellsworth Pride Festival, to get involved, or support this work, email events@healthyacadia.org.
The History of Ellsworth Pride
Ellsworth Pride is a coalition of community volunteers and partners that work to promote respect and understanding, reduce health disparities, and empower LGBTQIA+ community members, allies, and others to be present in our community as their most authentic selves. From the beginning, Ellsworth Pride has created a welcoming space to honor Pride Month and celebrate the LGBTQ+ community. It has also helped build a shared tradition, one that uplifts inclusion, self-expression, and the importance of equal justice and opportunity for all.
Ellsworth Pride began in 2021, inspired by the passion and leadership of students from Ellsworth High School Gender/Sexuality Diversity Alliance. The first PrideFest celebrated the installation of rainbow crosswalks at local schools and offered a joyful opportunity for the community to reconnect following the pandemic. The group hosts the annual Ellsworth Pride Festival, as well as smaller Ellsworth Pride events throughout the year.
In 2023, Ellsworth Pride successfully advocated for the City of Ellsworth to officially recognize June as Pride Month. The City Council issued proclamations in both 2023 and 2024, marking an important and meaningful milestone for local LGBTQ+ community members and allies.
In January 2024, Ellsworth Pride partnered with Bar Harbor Pride to host the Curbside Queens for a night of drag at The Grand, with sponsorship from Fogtown Brewing Company. The event drew a full and enthusiastic crowd, highlighting the strong and growing support for LGBTQ+ events in the region.
Ellsworth Pride Project Transition
For the past five years, Heart of Ellsworth helped steward Ellsworth Pride, growing it from a grassroots celebration into a beloved annual tradition that brings people together in downtown Ellsworth. Each year, the festival has created space for connection, visibility, belonging, and joy.
As of January 1, 2026, stewardship of Ellsworth Pride has officially transitioned to Healthy Acadia. Healthy Acadia will now lead planning for the festival and support its continued growth in the years ahead.
We are deeply grateful to the Pride committee, Heart of Ellsworth, volunteers, and community partners who helped shape Ellsworth Pride into the vibrant celebration it is today. This work has always been rooted in community, and we look forward to seeing the festival continue to grow and thrive.