Silver Valley Pride goes off without a hitch
This was the scene in downtown Wallace just before 10 a.m. on Saturday as organizers scrambled to put the final touches on the booths before the kick off to Silver Valley Pride 2023. An estimated 400 people spent several hours in the hot sun celebrating, supporting, and including one another.
Courtesy photo
Just after 10 a.m. people began pouring into the festival grounds for Silver Valley Pride 2023. Many of them stopping at the Info Booth to purchase a festival T-shirt, or to get registered for the Pride Pub Crawl.
A few members of the volunteer and security team stop for a smile during Silver Valley Pride 2023.
Local florist Sarah Murphy (pictured on the right) had a table set up at Silver Valley Pride where attendees could play with flowers and build small arrangements of their own.
WALLACE — The ability to be seen, supported and included.
These were the goals for Silver Valley Pride 2023.
For just a few hours Saturday, half a block in downtown Wallace was the epicenter of acceptance for many people who don’t always feel welcome.
After a successful inaugural event in 2022, the organizers of Silver Valley Pride — who wish to remain anonymous — were thrilled with the turnout for their follow-up event.
The day kicked off with a fun family-oriented street fair, where there were activities for adults and kids, including live music, ZUMBA, face painting, DIY floral arrangements, haircuts, games, and many other activities — most of them sponsored by local businesses
“The event was a beautiful celebration of diversity, inclusion and respect for each other as humans,” the organizers said. “From the amazing volunteers, the local businesses who were there to provide resources and the activities available there truly was something for everyone to enjoy.”
Among the businesses that attended Silver Valley Pride were several local resource groups that braved the hot weather just to make sure all attendees had a chance to familiarize themselves with the services that are available throughout the Silver Valley and Inland Northwest region.
The festival was contained to the small section of Sixth Street between the Silver Corner Bar and the Sixth and Cedar Coffee Shop and Bar — all the more impressive when you consider that an estimated 400 people made their way through the festival grounds.
Safety is always a concern for any event that takes place, but even more so when the event is one that tends to be as polarizing as Pride, which is why the organizers made sure to have a team of volunteers as well as security in place to make sure the event remained a peaceful, pleasant event.
“The facts don't lie. Statistics show that 60% of LGBTQ+ people who live in rural communities like ours don't feel safe or supported in their own towns,” the organizers said. “Events like this provide a space for everyone to come together and feel seen, supported and included in their communities.”
Many of the people who attended the event were just there to show their support — be it parents supporting their children, siblings, friends or just those in the community who wish to be known as an ally — Pride 2023 was a show of solidarity throughout the Silver Valley community.
“People underestimate the power of inclusion,” said one volunteer at the event.
The organizers of Silver Valley Pride are looking to form a committee to continue the planning and organization of the annual event.
If anyone would like more information on our events or on joining the committee, please feel free to contact them on the Silver Valley Pride Facebook page or by emailing them at silvervalleypride@gmail.com.
