Come celebrate Boston Pride’s 49th Anniversary – “Looking Back, Loving Forward”

To celebrate Boston Pride Week, Faneuil Hall Marketplace is hosting the 19th annual Pride Day @ Faneuil Hall filled with family fun and entertainment all day on Saturday, June 1. Join in the festivities including one of the largest Zumba classes, music and dance performances, drag queens and a mega dance party. There will also be face painting courtesy of GigiLand Face Painting as well as other activities for the whole family. The events are free and open to the public.
A variety of local artists and youth acts including Zola, No/Hus, Longe, Unknown Hype Dance Company, Phunk Snap, QWAM and Rocki Boulis will be there to entertain the crowds all day. Dreamland Wax Museum will also provide a surprise wax figure guest with whom visitors can take photos.
Emcees for the event will be Sue O’Connell, host of “The Take” on necn (New England Cable News) and Colton Bradford, co-host of “The Hub Today” on NBC10 Boston and a daily radio show host on 101.7 The Bull. NBC10 Boston, necn and Telemundo Boston is the official broadcast partner of Boston Pride Week.
 
Don’t miss the 3rdannual High Heel Dash for charity to take place at 4pm just north of Faneuil Hall Marketplace at the corner of Hanover and Union Streets. Participants, all wearing high heel shoes, will dash down Union Street and arrive at the finish line at the Marketplace to join the annual Pride Day @ Faneuil Hall Marketplace celebration. Entry fees from the dash will benefit the Boston Pride Community Fund which offers financial support to small, grassroots organizations through annual grants. For more information and to register for the High Heel Dash visitwww.bostonpride.org/dash.
 
WHEN:
Saturday, June 1, 2019
12:00pm to 5:00pm
High Heel Dash: 4:00pm
 
WHO:                  
Boston Pride
Sue O’Connell, Host of “The Take” on necn
Colton Bradford, NBC10 Boston
Faneuil Hall Marketplace representatives
Longe
 
Drag Entertainers:
Kandi Dishe
Karisma
Amanda Playwith
Benji
Majenta With a-J
QueenJP
 
WHERE:              
Faneuil Hall Marketplace
West End of Quincy Market Building
4 South Market Street
Boston, MA 02109
High Heel Dash: 45 Union Street at intersection of Hanover and Union Streets
 
BACKGROUND ON PERFORMERS
Zola is a 16-year-old singer-songwriter from Cambridge, MA. In 2013 Portraits of America profiled Zola on their website for busking on the streets of Boston at 10 years old. In 2014, she was featured on the TJ Show at AMP Radio performing “Counting Stars.” Her single “Real to You,” produced through B4 Records, can be found on iTunes and Spotify. In 2018 Zola released her first EP titled “In Plain Sight” which can be found on Apple Music, Spotify and most other music streaming platforms.
 
No/Hugs is an intense alternative five piece band based in Boston, MA. They deliver live performances, mind blowing musicianship and an edgy sound with bold spurs of prog rock, blues and pop-punk. The show is incomparable, led by the massive lead vocals of Narcissus A-Ngel, who has been compared to Melissa Etheridge and Janis Joplin by international publications. Handpicked by Kevin Lyman to open the entire Mansfield Vans Warped Tour on the Full Sail University Stage, No/Hugs debuted their new single “Your Satisfaction is Fake” on July 27th 2018. Currently the band is celebrating their endorsement with AUDIX MICRPHONES AT NAMM 2019 with four performances as well as an upcoming SXSW national tour in March.
 
Jess Perkins and her crew are back for one of the largest outdoor Zumba events to hit the plaza at Faneuil Hall Marketplace. Back by popular demand, Zumba with Jess offers one of the largest free outdoor Zumba classes designed to get attendees’ blood pumping. Jess Perkins is the owner and founder of Shape Up Personal Training in Cambridge MA. Come get your Bollywood X and Pound the floor as we turn the plaza into an International workout session.
 
Longe
Longe, formerly Angelo David, is a 17-year-old singer/songwriter and keyboard player from Boston who began writing songs at age 8. His songwriting is a platform to raise awareness about current issues that relate to his own personal experiences growing up including social inclusion, empowering teens to find their voice, and embracing originality.  His first CD was released in 2013, along with his first music videos, “House Is Burning Down” (a song about being bullied) and “Mirror” (an introspection). On June 8, 2013, “House is Burning Down” trended at #4 worldwide on YouTube as one of the most popular music videos around the web.
 
“UNKNOWN HYPE” Boston’s newest Urban Hip Hop Dance Company was founded in October 2014 artistic director, choreographer, music producer, and dancer Kywon Edwards Jr. at the age of 17. The group is formed of 26 talented, educated and dedicated members. The group has performed at the Battle of The Sexes Hair Show/Competition presented by Muffen Moses, World of Dance presented by Jennifer Lopez, Tinys Wonderland presented by T.I. & Tiny Harris and Tamara Whitacker and Prelude New England presented by Phunk Phenomenon. UHDC operates out of The Mildred Ave Community Center located in Mattapan MA,  and is run by Kywon Edwards and three other executive members.
 
Phunk Snap is a group of all gay male dancers who bring something different to the table! Originating out of PHUNK PHENOMENON not only do they dance to raise awareness for Sanfilippo Syndrome but also dance to show everyone out there that you CAN be different and not feel self-conscious about who you are no mater your sexuality, race/ethnicity, gender identity, religion, culture, country, likes/dislikes, political affiliation, and so forth! Their goal is to show the world that you can do anything you set your mind too while being yourself at all times. Just live life the way YOU want too!
 
Established in 2017, Queens with a Mission (QWAM) champions those who identify as part of the LGBTQ community in the Boston community and the Boston Dance Scene. As a diverse all male dance crew, they are a group of friends who want to express and experience dance in all aspects; masculinity, femininity, and reality. Through a collective and collaborative movement, they are bringing freshness, fun and spontaneity to venues across the East Coast.
 
Rocki Boulis is a Singer/Songwriter originally from Pittsburgh, PA. She travels regularly between her home town and Boston working on music. Rocki has worked with and written for many artists in the industry including season one winner of X Factor, Melanie Amaro and also co-writing her first EP “Girl Code” with Victoria Monet (featured artist on “Monopoly”with Ariana Grande). Rocki has two original EP’s available on all streaming sites and just recently released her new singles “Love Strategy” and “3:33”! If you’d like to connect with Rocki, she can be found on all social media as @RockiOfficial