VALDOSTA — Saturday’s festival at John W. Saunders Memorial Park looked like any other small-town celebration, with children playing on the ball courts, vendors under tents hawking everything from jewelry to belt buckles and a makeshift food court with trailer crews offering everything from hot dogs and snow cones to jalapeno burgers.

One thing that set it apart from other festivals was the abundance of rainbow flags, the traditional symbols of the LGBT (lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender) community.

Saturday, Saunders Park played host to the 10th Annual Pride Festival in Valdosta, hosted by the nonprofit organization South Georgia Pride.

Christian Benoit, executive director of South Georgia Pride, said in a previous interview that anywhere from 3,000-5,000 people attend the festival yearly.

Various nonprofits and educational groups, including Valdosta State University Department of Marriage and Family Therapy and the Suwannee Riverkeeper Watershed Coalition, attended. LifeSouth community blood center had one of its bloodmobiles on hand. Candidates for mayoral elections were on the scene.

Jessa Belle and Brenda Brawny, who identified themselves as drag queens, said they enjoyed the festival.

“It’s great to come out, walk around and enjoy what you are,” said Brawny, who has taken part in the local Ketchup and Mustard Drag Show at the Bleu Pub.

In the food court area, Teresa Shinrobich and her helper, Selena Wolfe, were scrambling to get in business.

The ladies, from Forsythe, had driven down to operate a hot dog and hamburger tent. Among the specialties: a jalapeno burger with a half-inch thick beef patty infused with the peppers.

“We hope business will be good,” Shinrobich said as she raced to get operations set up. “We’ve never been to a festival before.”

Terry Richards is senior reporter at The Valdosta Daily Times.