CHESAPEAKE, Va. — Pride in the 'Peake returns to Chesapeake City Park on Sunday, June 14, from noon to 5 p.m. for its 5th annual celebration, with organizers expecting up to 10,000 attendees — a record for the event.
The free event is the only intentionally sober Pride celebration in Hampton Roads, making it a welcoming space for people in recovery and families with children. Organizers say the event was built around a mission to serve LGBTQ+ youth, who face suicide rates 4 times higher than their peers.
"We're also the only intentionally sober pride event in the seven cities, so that also provides a place for people who are in recovery to come to so that they can provide a place for their pride to be their authentic self," Amber Bowmer said.
Bowmer serves as president and Jeremy Rodden serves as treasurer of the Pride in the 'Peake Board of Directors.
This year's event will feature nearly 50 vendors, 8 food trucks, an ice cream truck, live music from the Deloreans Band, and more. Community resources will be available from all three major area hospitals, the Lions Club — offering free hearing and vision screenings — the Food Bank of Southeastern Virginia and the Eastern Shore, the Chesapeake Health Center, and Chesapeake Integrated Behavioral Healthcare. Chesapeake Regional Healthcare will also have a medical unit on-site serving as the event's first aid station. Family Dollar will provide free water to all attendees.
For children, the event will offer free face painting, fairy hair, princesses, and a magician. Those activities will take place in a separate area away from the main stage to create a more sensory-friendly environment for kids who need it.
After feedback from last year's extreme heat, organizers have added more cooling tents and shade throughout the park. The event is also returning to Chesapeake City Park for the second consecutive year, a location organizers chose for its central access and public transportation options.
Bowmer said the event's roots are personal.
"When we first started 5 years ago we were really looking at what is something that we can feel that the other Pride events in the area don't, and one of the things that we wanted to focus in on was family and youth," Bowmer said.
Rodden, a former educator and parent of a transgender child, said the need for a Chesapeake-based event was clear from the start.
"We didn't like the fact that you had to leave your own city in order to go find that inclusivity," Rodden said.
Both organizers say Pride in the 'Peake is not just a one-day event. The organization remains active throughout the year promoting advocacy and working to create safe environments for youth, particularly in schools.
For more information on Pride in the 'Peake, click here.
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