(Marion Steele thanks everyone for attending, along with the performers and vendors, at this year’s West Side Pride event held at Alexander Grove on July 19th. Photos: Stittsville Central)
On July 19th the weather was perfect for the the third annual West Side Pride event, ‘Out in the Park’ hosted in Stittsville. The event brought in guests and entertainers from Stittsville, Kanata and outlying areas. The event was held at Alexander Grove Park and ran from 11:00am – 4:00pm. The special guest for the day was Carleton MP, Bruce Fanjoy.
“This is an excellent event for the community of Stittsville and Ottawa. I am happy to be a part of this event today in our community. The attendance is terrific and the performers are so talented,” Mr. Fanjoy told us as he was off to another event.
The event was organized by Marion Steele and Kevin Hau and many other volunteers. They worked with local businesses and outside volunteers in order to make the event a success again this year. They received support from La Cantina Streatery who provided food for the volunteers and visitors. The event was sponsored by Stittsville Whole Health Pharmacy, Nokia and Time For You Electrolysis, while supporters were Centre33 in Kanata, OPSEU, Jimmy’s Waffle World and Councillor Glen Gower.
“We are really pleased with this year’s turnout, the entertainment and the increased number of vendors taking part,” said Kevin Hua, one of the organizers. “We couldn’t have asked for a better afternoon of weather to celebrate.”
The event got started around 11:00am with people gathering and looking around. The Opening Ceremony kicked off the event with guest speakers, Marion Steele who talked about her own experience with Pride events and Councillor Glen Gower who provided his support and excitement for the event and its return for the third year.
The day saw many performers such as the MC Drag Queen BJ Stroker, along with Skyler Sapphire, Bae Root, Rhionna Kitty, Caleb O’Guy and Yeti taking the stage every half hour or so, constantly keeping visitors at the event (and those taking a walk through the park) entertained!
There were many different vendor and info booths set up around the park conveying information about a range of impactful causes. Most of the booths related to Pride and LGBTQIA+ issues in our community, but some also talked about other important issues that can be seen in our city and town as well.
At an event like this, there truly is something for everyone!