ASHLAND — Music and color filled Main Street for Ashland Pride.
About 50 people gathered at The Corner Park on Saturday morning before marching through downtown as part of Ashland’s annual Pride celebration.
The parade marked six years of Pride events in Ashland, according to committee member Sylviane Miller.
Members of the Ashland Pride committee said Saturday’s event is about uplifting each other and building community.
“We’ve been working to build this every year to make it more about building community that’ll last throughout the year,” Miller said.
The committee spent about a month and a half meeting weekly and coordinating the event, according to Miller.
The parade was the first of several activities planned throughout the day. The celebration continued at Brookside West Park with food trucks, raffle drawings and live entertainment.
The afternoon included performances from drag entertainers Oil, Acey Luxe, Natalie Nightengale and Nina Nightengale, along with stand-up comedy from Chloe Jackson.
The event also included local organizations and nonprofits that provided information about their services.
Organizations and nonprofits included:
- Mansfield Gay Pride Association
- Safe Haven RCDV Shelter
- Refuge Counseling
- Third St. Family Health Services
- Eagles for Pride
- St. Mathew’s Episcopal Church
- Peace Lutheran Church
- Appleseed Community Mental Health Center
- Love on a Mission
- Ashland County Democratic Party
- Democratic Socialists of America
- Socialist Rifle Association
One organization, Love on a Mission, offered information about its LGBTQ+ youth program, which serves youth ages 12-17 and provides education for youth, families and allies.
The festivities continued into the evening with a karaoke after-party at Joan’s Tavern.
Miller said the committee’s goal was to give people a place to meet others and find community through Pride.
“People can come. They don’t have to bring anything with themselves,” Miller said. “And they can hang out and meet people, and just know that they are not alone.”
The organizers said they have received both support and pushback from members of the community.
“While we get some pushback from the community, we still get an overwhelming support from the community,” Miller said. “We could not do that without everybody who steps up and puts their name and business behind this, and we’re really, really grateful for that.”
Committee President Haley Barker-Newhouse said the committee hopes the event can also give younger LGBTQ+ residents an opportunity to see people in the community who support them.
“There are just so many queer folk that live in Ashland, whether people acknowledge that or not,” Barker-Newhouse said. “The community’s a lot larger than what people think it is.”
See more images from Saturday’s parade:
