Goshen Theme Park Adds Pride Parade to Miniland Display

LEGOLAND has added some extra special elements to its massive Hudson Valley theme park to celebrate Pride month.

If you're planning a visit to LEGOLAND New York in Goshen this month, you may notice some big changes to the New York City display at Miniland.  For those of you not familiar with Miniland, it's a breathtaking area of the park where everything is made completely of LEGO bricks. There are scale models of major cities and landmarks from across the country and around the world including Mount Rushmore, the Golden Gate Bridge, The White House, Yankee Stadium and more.

It's hard to put Miniland into words, as it's the one attraction at LEGOLAND that most visitors aren't expecting to be so huge. The massive display stretches down a long, winding path and includes interactive elements you can control as well as motorized vehicles and moving people. You could probably spend the entire day just exploring Miniland and still not see everything the brick builders hid inside these intricate models.

This month, the New York City display has added some surprise features that show LEGO's commitment to inclusion. A special Pride parade has popped up in front of a newly designed model of the Stonewall Inn. The parade stretches around the block and features a motorized float with a rainbow stretching over the word "love." There are also dancers on the float, an array of paradegoers, pride flags and the Human Rights Campaign "equal" logo.

There are similar Pride displays at LEGOLAND parks around the country, including the LEGOLAND Discovery Center in Westchester.

LEGO has been a long-time LGBTQIA+ ally. Last year, the company unveiled a model titled "Everyone is Awesome." Designer Matthew Ashton explains that he was inspired to create the design by his own experience coming out in the 1980s and the loneliness and uncertainty he felt during that time. He says that if a set like this was around back then it would have gone a long way to making him realize that he wasn't alone.

You can check out the new LEGO Pride parade in Miniland, which is down the hill to the right just after entering the LEGOLAND New York theme park in Goshen.