PrideFest returns to downtown Columbia for second year

COLUMBIA — Downtown Columbia will host the city's second Mid-Missouri PrideFest on Sunday.

PrideFest is a celebration of the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, questioning and ally community. The event is held annually in major cities across the country.

The festival will be held from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. About 40 exhibitor booths will be centered around Bengal's Bar & Grill at the intersection of Sixth and Elm streets, according to Nathan Fleischmann, the media and communication liaison for the festival

This year's PrideFest will include a "Gayest Dog Contest," a drag show, and musical performances by Tom Goss and Summer Osborne. Leaders of several different religious organizations will hold an Interfaith service at 2 p.m. in Peace Park.

PrideFest is also hosting a free showing of the movie "eCupid: Love on the Download" at 1 p.m. Saturday at Ragtag Cinema. Director Noah Schuffman, a Columbia native, will be available for an informal question-and-answer session after the screening.

Fleischmann said event coordinators hope to see upwards of 2,000 attendees at this year's festival but that the atmosphere will still be family-friendly.