Sussex County Pride event held in Newton
Newton. The ninth annual Sussex County Pride Day event was held on June 13 in Newton.
| 16 Jun 2026 | 01:22
Emily Plant of Montague is shown with her dog Coal. (
)
Kim Crowell and Sandra Henderson, both of Newton, pose for a photo. (
)
Cookie Doe of Newton and Double Dietrich of Sparta pose for a photo. (
)
An estimated 1,200 people attended Sussex County Pride’s ninth annual Pride Festival on June 13 at One Brooks Plaza in Newton.
The event featured vendors, food trucks, nonprofit organizations, live music and drag performances throughout the day.
Performers included emcee Cookie Doe, DJ Rocky Rinaldi, musicians Monte Maybe and Cleo Becc, and drag artists Double Dietrich, Fantasia Fae, Lexi Pro, Anne Phibian, Manick Panick, Damon O’Great and Very Gerry.
Cookie Doe, a Newton resident who hosted the festival, delivered a message of acceptance and encouragement to attendees.
“During difficult times, we may feel alone, we may feel like we don’t have anyone, but I want to remind you that I see you, I hear you and I love you,” Doe told the crowd.
The festival was sponsored by Thorlabs, Selective Insurance, Sparta United Methodist Church and PFLAG Sussex County.
Sussex County Pride founder Zoe Heath said the organization was created to provide local opportunities for LGBTQ+ residents to celebrate Pride without leaving the county.
“Queer and Trans people here, especially here, deserve to feel seen and celebrated in their own backyard,” Heath said.
