Wheat Ridge showed its support for the LGBTQ+ community with two Pride Month celebrations: the Pride Community Crawl featuring local businesses and the Pride Picnic at Panorama Park.
The Pride Community Crawl was held on June 21 and featured food and drink specials, discounts and other celebrations from businesses around town. Mountain Phoenix Community School hosted a weaving project and story times for kids, while Clancy’s Irish Pub had a full schedule of DJs and bands to celebrate the occasion.
On June 22, folks gathered at Panorama Park to share food, play games and build community. An art project was sponsored by Sweet Ridge Studios, while Glory of God Lutheran Church sponsored yard games. The Wheat Ridge Police Department also stopped by to chat with families at the picnic.
Wheat Ridge City Councilmember Jenny Snell said that the community reception of the Pride celebration was overwhelmingly positive.
“I had several conversations throughout the day with folks who were so very happy to have a Pride celebration in our community,” Snell said. “There were longtime residents who said they were glad to finally see a Pride party in Wheat Ridge. They all expressed how important it is to feel supported and safe in their community and were grateful for the efforts.
“It was such a great group of folks, from kiddos to seniors and everywhere in between,” Snell continued.
Much of the Pride programming was coordinated by the city’s Inclusion, Equity, Diversity and Accessibility (IDEA) Committee, Snell said. She added that the city is looking forward to hosting Pride again next year.