Washington County will hold its first-ever in-person Pride this Saturday, June 11. The Pride event is aiming to be inclusive and open to everyone of all ages and is free to the public.
Tyler Bogden, the co-chair of Washington Pride, explained how the event is a few years in the making. Much like other events, what was supposed to be the first Washington Pride was put off in 2020 because of the pandemic.
“[The pandemic] kind of threw a wrench into plans, so we pumped the brakes,” Bogden said. “We thought it would just be a minor postponement, but then it continued to be postponed, so we were going to try again for the next year.”
In 2021, since Washington County was still in the red zone for COVID-19 cases when they were planning, they decided to push back another year.
“We didn’t feel comfortable making it virtual the first year because we weren’t sure it had the impact for something that we had never done before,” he said.
Now, in 2022, the event is finally here. Although the past two years dented plans for the time being, Bogden looks at it from a positive viewpoint for the event, as they learned and changed a lot from what the original event was supposed to look like.
The event has been staged with more focus to be on the community vendors and performers.
With DJs playing throughout the day, Transviolet headlining, Steve Grand performing, drag shows, and much more, guests will be sure to have a great time.
“There will be food trucks, vendors, and craft stations,” Bogden said. “A wellness village sponsored by Central Outreach Wellness Center will also be there, with HIV and STD resources.”
One thing Bogden wants to focus on with Washington’s Pride is making it accessible for everyone, including vendors. The event, including the performances, is also free to attend.
Bogden is looking forward to seeing how attendance is after the long wait and buildup. Washington, Pennsylvania is only a 30-minute drive from the City of Pittsburgh and he encourages people to check the event out, and even explore Washington a little bit.
