Delano’s LGBTQ+ Alliance is holding a Pride Pulga event on Sunday, June 27 in honor of Pride Month.
Delano’s Pride Pulga will host more than 40 vendors, artists, and performers.
“It’s the first time we do anything like this, but we hope that it can be an annual thing so that every year everyone has something to look forward to,” said Marivel Servin, a member of Delano’s LGBTQ+ Alliance and organizer of the event. “We hope to keep it going and have it be bigger every year.”
The event will take place at the historic Forty Acres (30168 Garces HWY) in Delano from 3-7 p.m. Servin said the location of the event is meaningful.
“We’re really honored to be able to continue the idea of solidarity and social movements within our organizations, so that has been huge for us. I can’t believe it,” Servin says. This location continues to hold many historical events and progress made by Delano.”
Radio Station Forge 103.9 will be present to play music and hold a raffle for Six Flags Tickets. There will also be other prizes. Also, many local, small businesses and artists will be selling products.
This event is open to the community and encourages inclusivity. Allies and members of the LGBTQ+ community are welcome to volunteer and/or attend this event. The Pulga is meant to be a safe place for everyone and acts as a form of solidarity with the LGBTQ+ community.
Before Servin was involved with DLA, she participated in civic engagement events like food distributions. However, this June has been her favorite because of the amount of fundraising that was able to happen and opened opportunities for more events.
In 2019, Delano had its first Pride March, which Servin helped plan. She has now become one of the lead organizers in her community when it comes to Pride Month events.
This began opening opportunities for more inclusiveness in Delano. This year alone, Delano has hung a Pride flag in front of City Hall, held the city’s second Pride March, and will hold the Pride Pulga event.
Because of Delano’s openness to the LGBTQ+ community, other nearby cities have followed in doing the same. For example, Wasco held its first Pride March this year. Servin hopes that other cities in Kern County will do the same.
