3 lesbians and a picnic blanket

3 lesbians and a picnic blanket - that is what our trusty Planeteer kept saying in the car on the way to Herts Pride. This was a pre-conception we had come up with based on the published line up and the website and Facebook event. The marketing, as with most Pride events seemed particularly aimed at men, the Glam tent for example was 80% drag queens. There was no dedicated women's space, as has become common at Pride events, so you can understand where we were coming from with our thinking. How wrong we were!

This year, Herts launched its first Pride event. In Cassiobury Park in Watford, the whole county came together for one of the best Pride events I have been to in a long time. The atmosphere was like a county fair, a gay county fair.

There were market stalls, food vendors, a few theme park rides and the usual live music stage you would come to expect.

The event was very much grass roots. Free entry unless you wanted to access the bar and the Glam dance tent, which was £5 in advance or £10 on the gate. The acts on the live music stage were local acts, some of which were recently signed and about to release their first records.

We were amazed by how many women their were, and how many families too. Everything was set out so there was a good space in the middle which soon became a picnic chill out space. Herts LGBT Parents network has a large following and it was good to see a Pride event where the focus wasn't drink and drugs but a relaxed afternoon. I may have also been swayed by the local Nandos handing out free chicken wings and also vouchers for free chicken! Washing that down with a local cupcake and a coffee from Bootylicious, there was little more I needed.

The whole day was a huge success, with several thousand people in attendance. There is little doubt in my mind that Herts Pride will be back in 2014, bigger and better. They are already seeking feedback on the event from those who attended.

The Vibe with Pride Stage featured: Ricky K, Dorothy Thornhill & Tina Barnard, Sophie Ray, Roses and Pirates, Kelly Wilde, Angie Brown, Lemon, Mel Jade, Ever Young, Allan Jay, Simon C, Yazzir, Rosanne, Laurrie, Raya, Rajiv, GingerBrown, Strange Folk, My Little Empire and ENV.

The Health & Wellbeing Marquee featured many community stands, including library services, youth connexions, fostering, health services, recruitment and registrars.

Market Stalls included The Pink Shark, Nandos, The Hot Cake Company, Bad Sheep Boutique and Hertfordshire Trading Standards.

Food Vendors included Bootylicious coffee and Hire the Chef.

Herts Pride website: http://www.hertspride.co.uk/

Naomi