PrideFest returns to New Hope with parade spanning Pennsylvania, New Jersey

Pride season is getting an early start in New Hope, Pennsylvania, this weekend. The PrideFest parade Saturday will cross state lines, starting in Lambertville, New Jersey, and ending in New Hope in Bucks County, where a full festival celebrates the reason for the season.

And this year, the entertainment hits close to home.

It's a throwback to the 90s with American house and dance music icon Crystal Waters.

"I grew up across the bridge in South Jersey, so it just feels like coming home," Waters said.

She expects to bring her high-energy to a crowd ready to be part of the show.

"You're going to see a lovely, high-energy, fun performance," she said. "I'd love to have the crowd join me in the songs and we're going to have a good time here."

The theme this year, "In full color," is all about showing up as your full self, and for Philly native Vincint, that message is personal.

"It's showing authenticity, standing in a room full of people and owning who you are and how that uniqueness shapes everything around you," Vincint said.

From live music to the art of drag, there's no shortage of performances, including Miss New Hope Athena Chanteuse, who is ready to bring the wow factor.

"I'm going to dance, do the splits, the tricks, all the fun things. Give glamour, give showgirl," she said.

And while Philly gets ready for a return to pride on the Parkway, New Hope proves sometimes the most powerful celebrations happen in smaller spaces.

"You're not so small that no one's watching," Vincint said. "I think the biggest change comes from the smallest places."