Proud Supporters of Pride: Killington Sponsors 2026 Rutland County Pride Festival for Third Year

If there’s one thing that could brighten up a dreary looking Vermont day, it was the scene in downtown Rutland this past Saturday. Rutland County Pride held their 4th annual Pride Festival on Saturday, June 20th, as the celebration of queer joy once again took center stage on Center Street. For the third year running, Killington Resort was proud to support the event as one of its premier sponsors. Members of our staff spent the day on Center Street alongside people of all ages who came out in droves to support Rutland County’s LGBTQ+ community.

If you think of yourself as a collector of Killington and Pico merch, hopefully you found your way to our booth on Saturday. We had exclusive Killington and Pico themed pride stickers, Killington-branded pride wristbands, sunglasses, and even some rainbow bandanas for good measure. We also had plenty of Gatorade, obviously available in a rainbow of colors and flavors, and all of it was free for anyone who came to say hello.

Among the numerous other vendors in attendance were local businesses, churches, colleges, food vendors, and much more. There were places to try on new clothes, register to vote, get a free hug, or just browse for other free giveaways. There aren't many events where you can grab some Ben & Jerry’s before walking over to say hi to some reptiles and pet some baby goats, but Rutland County Pride Festival is certainly one of those events.

Aside from the smiling faces, spirited outfits, and infectious energy, there’s been one near constant at each iteration of the Rutland County Pride Festival: rain. Other than one hot summer day at last year’s event, Mother Nature has made her presence felt with at least a little rainfall each year. But, as Sam Davis-Boyd, Rutland County Pride’s co-president aptly pointed out, “You can’t have rainbows without rain.” Besides, it would take much more than some precipitation to bring down the spirits of the thousands of attendees, volunteers, and vendors that filled the streets of downtown Rutland.

Even as the showers ebbed and flowed, the entertainment was non-stop. Dance troupes found themselves caught in a downpour but kept the party going. Musical acts from solo guitarists to pop ensembles performed all throughout the afternoon. Attendees were treated to poetry readings, distinct styles of dancing, and plenty more live music

Luckily, we were treated to some calmer skies and sunshine just in time for the main event: the hour-long drag show that caps off this event each year. Center Street filled with spectators as numerous drag kings and queens took to the stage to bring (and boots) the house down. After more showstopping performances featuring plenty of glam and crowd interaction, the final act of the show was, naturally, capped off by a loud clap of thunder in the distance. The stage production team, vendors, and event staff took to the streets to pack up after another successful seven hours of all-ages fun.

Rutland County Pride is just one of many community events and organizations Killington and Pico are proud to support each year. Earlier this summer, we sponsored two different community events that happened to take place on the same day. First up was the Town of Killington’s annual Touch-A-Truck on Saturday, June 6th, a free, family-friendly gathering featuring big rigs, emergency vehicles, and other pieces of heavy equipment generously supplied by local businesses and agencies. This annual event gives kiddos one of their first tastes behind the wheel of the same vehicles that help The Beast operate each day, including the two-ton truck that one of our employees kindly brought to the event.

That same day, Killington Resort was the proud “Energy Sponsor” of the Girls on the Run 5k down in Manchester, VT. Girls on the Run’s mission is to “inspires girls to be joyful, healthy and confident using a fun, experience-based curriculum which creatively integrates running.” Less of a race and more of a celebration, each participant was given a medal at the end of their run, commemorating the end of the 2026 Girls on the Run spring season. A number of our staff members attended the event, bringing with them lots of free stickers and plenty of bubbles to go around.

Our support for Rutland County Pride is part of a broader effort to make the mountains feel welcoming to everyone. Two Pride-themed banner designs hang year-round in the Snowshed parking lot as a visible reminder of that commitment. The first is an homage to the “I ❤️ Rutland, VT!” campaign that began a decade ago, a campaign that was soon followed up by a 2021 initiative which added the Progress Pride Flag and some additional messaging to the original slogan. The second one carries a simple message that says exactly what we believe: “The Beast welcomes all.”

Here at Killington, we believe the mountains are for everyone. As a four-season resort, the outdoors is our year-round playground, and we want all guests, employees, and community members to feel invited into those spaces.

As part of our Upward & Outward initiative, we strive to live up to our three pillars: Respect, Connect, and Project. For us, to Project is to lead by example in matters of social responsibility. That means supporting the environment, strengthening our local communities, and helping make the places we love more welcoming and inclusive. We’ll keep backing organizations that do important grassroots work, including Rutland County Pride, and we’ll continue supporting efforts that help our region feel more connected, accepted, and open to all.