In early fall of 2017, we formed a committee to bring the very first Celebration of Pride & Diversity to Dufferin County. The vision was to create a fun, family-friendly event to allow people to celebrate their differences – whether it be sexual orientation, race, cultural beliefs, or anything else – we wanted to create an environment where people were able to be comfortable in their own skin, safe to express themselves and we wanted to create an opportunity for education at the same time!
We are happy to report that with the support of the Town of Orangeville, The County of Dufferin, the BIA, our community partners and the entire community, the first two years of in-person events were roaring successes. We estimate that our attendance was over 2500 people the first year and over 5000 in 2019!
In 2020 and 2021, like the rest of the world, we had to pivot and were proud to offer virtual events to be together to celebrate pride even when we couldn’t be together in person. The feedback we have received from the entire community has been extremely supportive and positive.
We are excited to say that this year, our committee is planning to bring this day of food, music, education and fun back to Orangeville’s downtown core on Saturday, June 17th, 2023 and we anticipate attendance will continue to grow.