View the full set Salem’s transformation from persecution to pride reached new heights as over 30,000 people flooded the historic streets on June 28, 2025, for the North Shore Pride Festival. What began as Dr. Hope Watt-Bucci’s response to witnessing discrimination in 2012—expecting maybe 100 supporters—has exploded into one of Massachusetts’ most vibrant celebrations of LGBTQ+ identity, creativity, and community.