NORTH BROOKFIELD, Mass. — A Pride festival and drag show went on as scheduled in North Brookfield on Saturday as organizers moved past weeks of pushback from the town’s Board of Selectmen and residents.

“We’ve had a lot of different obstacles we’ve had to overcome putting this event together, but we’re here, we made it and everything is going according to plan,” said Small Town Pride organizer Rob Orpilla. 

In April, the North Brookfield Board of Selectmen voted to cancel the drag show, but after the ACLU of Massachusetts threatened legal action, they allowed the event to continue without a permit. 

“We’re happy we were able to pull it off, and that the pushback wasn’t enough to stop us from putting it on,” Orpilla said. 

Earlier this week, the town’s Board of Selectmen chair could be seen removing Pride flags organizers had put up for a scheduled interview with NBC News about their event. 

Tashena Marie, president of the Rural Justice Network and a North Brookfield resident, filmed the encounter. 

Tanya Neslusan, executive director of MassEquality, said there’s always some vocal opposition for Small Town Pride events, but the supportive community is what matters most. 

“You’re going to hear that from some people, but it’s important for the community to know that the community itself, even if two of the selectmen were opposed, the community at large is very supportive,” Neslusan said. “Being able to celebrate who you are in the community where you come from is really meaningful.”

As the event began, protestors could be seen across the street, and attendees holding rainbow umbrellas quickly moved to stand in front of them, blocking their signs.