Back in person and at a new location, Staunton PRIDE returns Sunday, Oct. 23, 2022 from noon to 5 p.m. at Gypsy Hill Park bandstand.
“There’s a health and wellness piece to PRIDE this year,” said co-director Cole Troxell of Waynesboro.
A volunteer with the Shenandoah LGBTQ Center, Troxell received grant funding to work on health education and COVID-19 vaccinations of the vulnerable population in Staunton.
“We want to make sure that the community knows that we take health and wellness very seriously and that we are paying attention to our community and trying to do everything we can to have that health education piece and have access to vaccinations and boosters,” Troxell said.
For members of the LGBTQ community who were already vulnerable before the pandemic, COVID-19 created even more isolation for them, according to Troxell.
The center recognized the importance for access to medical and mental health care.
As the world came out of the pandemic, reintroduction into shared spaces and taking care of self became important. As a result, a health and wellness hub will be at this year’s PRIDE event, as well as 18 vendors offering community services and resources, food trucks, a beer garden, Ciders From Mars, a kids corner of activities, live music, drag performances and raffles all day.
The first Staunton PRIDE was held in 2018 with approximately 5,000 in attendance on West Beverley Street, according to Troxell. The hope is that 3,500 to 4,000 will attend this year.
“We’re just trying to make sure we do enough for any flux of people,” Troxell said. Coordinators are in discussion about sanitation requirements.
The event was not held in 2019 and then was virtual in 2020 and 2021.
Troxell just wants to see this year’s event happen in person.
“This sort of feels like it’s the first time that we’ve done it too,” Troxell said.
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Rebecca Barnabi
