Access at Middpride
ID: [A map of the Middlebury Pride location along Main Street and Merchants Row in Middlebury, VT. Triangle Park, the festival area, is located in the top left corner. College Park, the start location for the parade, is in the bottom right corner and marked with a yellow star. The map has a marbled rainbow background and the building locations are colored in a similar rainbow gradient. “Middlebury Pride” is written in large text in the top right corner. A key legend in the bottom left corner shows where the parade route, parade, start, restrooms, and accessible parking are located. The parade route runs from College park, up Main Street, turning right on Merchants Row, and turning left into Triangle Park. Restrooms, marked with a blue diamond, are located in St. Stephens church in Triangle Park and in Gather further up Merchants Row. Accessible parking is located just beyond the road closure halfway up Merchants Row. Triangle Park is divided into zones, including a kids area behind St. Stephens on the side closest to South Pleasant Street. A teens zone is located behind St. Stephens on the side closest to the gazebo. Organizations are located in front of St. Stephens on the side closest to Merchants Row. Food trucks are located along Main Street before the road closure and just after the turn into Merchants Row. A vendor zone is marked along the right side of the road on Merchants Row, opposite Triangle Park, extending down Main Street until just before the bridge over Otter Creek. A Middlebury Skate Park zone is marked at the end of the vendor zone just before the bridge. Credits are written in the bottom left corner. The map is a collaboration between illustrator Isabel Linhares, Middlebury Pride, and The Teen Center.]
Our Middlebury Pride organizing team is committed to prioritizing access imperfectly, doing what we can with the resources we have this year and planning ahead to improve access in the future. This year’s access features include:
0.2 mile parade route from the top of College Park, up Main Street and Merchants Row to Triangle Park. The parade route has been tested with a power wheelchair but is likely too steep for a manual wheelchair. We anticipate many folx will set up their own chairs on the sidewalk along the route during the march. Feel free to join in at any point along the route that is accessible to you.
Closed street from Main Street, just beyond the roundabout, through half of Merchants Row. Emergency services are still able to get through. In the event of an approaching emergency vehicle, pedestrians in the street will move to the sidewalk or the vendor side of the street to make way.
Masks encouraged, especially during the parade and other crowded areas. While we are not requiring masks, we encourage as many folx who can to wear them to protect our most vulnerable community members. We will have pride-themed surgical masks available for folx who want them.
Calm zones. We are setting up a quiet, indoor space inside Gather. This space will be mask-mandatory and wheelchair-accessible. It has a large, accessible bathroom and a private room for chest/breast-feeding. Gather will have coloring pages and tea/coffee available. An unstaffed, mask-encouraged outdoor calm zone will also be available at Cannon Park.
Accessible parking for folx with a disabled parking placard. While half of Merchants Row will be closed off for safety, we are turning some of the parking spots on the open half of the road into accessible parking spaces for folx who need them. Unfortunately nearby parking is otherwise quite limited, and we encourage those who can to park elsewhere.
Young child zone and activities. We will have a bouncy house, crafts, and games.
On-site medical support from Porter Hospital
Seating, shade, and free water available in Triangle Park. Vendors will be located in the shade.
Indoor accessible restrooms in St. Stephens Episcopal Church and Gather (Gather will be mask-mandatory, St. Stephens will not be).
We recognize that Middlebury Pride is not yet accessible to all members of our community. We are not able to offer ASL interpreting this year. Additionally, a mask-encouraged but not mask-mandatory event excludes many of our immunocompromised community members and we were not able to organize safer alternatives this year. We are committed to improving access throughout what we hope will be a long future for Middlebury Pride. If you know of a way we can improve access at future events, please let us know.