Emerald sequins, ruby shoes, and a flash of farm-country pride turned Hudson, New York, into its own Oz on June 21 as OutHudson, a nonprofit organization that aims to improve the quality of life of Hudson and Columbia Countys LGBTQ+ community, rolled out the 15th-annual Columbia County Pride Parade and Festival. Marchers, floats, and brass bands spilled from 7th Street Park, followed the line of Warren Street, and finished at Promenade Hill, where the river view doubled as a technicolor backdrop for an afternoon party fueled by Hudson Brewing taps and Coopers Daughter cocktails.This years tagline, Theres No Place Like Hudson, proved prophetic. Crowds lined the route to cheer everything from drag queen Glindas to Madame Morrible lookalikes. Four Grand Marshals led the way, each flaunting a different facet of local queer life. Juilliard alum Pretty Woman, known for her monthly Queer Night and annual All The Bodies pride party, helped turn the party up, while drag personality Trixie Starr, who helped launch the first OutHudson parade in 2010, joined for another round of festivities. Brooklyn drag king and two-time Glam winner ShowPonii served black and emerald swagger, and hometown performer Girlgantua Jones gave us pink princess realness as Glinda.The theme inspired celebrations of fantasy, friendship, and fierce individuality. The party fully embraced all the glitz and glam of Oz, as well as the timeless queer connections of The Wizard of Oz, Wicked, The Wiz and yes, of course, Wicked. Vendors and advocacy groups kept the post-parade lawn buzzing until sunset, proving once again that Hudson doesnt borrow big-city shine, but rather manufactures its own. If brains, heart, and courage are the measures, Pride 2025 showed this river town has all three in abundance, backed by a killer soundtrack.Scroll through to see some of our favorite highlights from this years event!