BAKERSFIELD, Calif. (KERO) — Even though Pride Month is coming to an end, the LGBTQ+ community is saving some of the best for last.
It may be the last weekend of June but that does not mean the Pride celebrations are winding down. One such case is Oleander Pride, an event that takes place in the Bakersfield neighborhood of Oleander.
Jennifer Clayton, an organizer of Oleander Pride, talked about how the celebration works inside a neighborhood.
“Honestly, we have a kind of a formula set and we are keeping it pretty much the same," said Clayton. "Because it is in the neighborhood, we want to make sure we are not invading people's homes and spaces. We started out with just a little bit and now we have a bunch of community resources.”
Those community resources include the Bakersfield College Lavender Initiative, the Bakersfield Aids Project, and the Kern High School District, as well as resources on how to register to vote.
It is the fourth year of the event, but Clayton says that this year's theme has become more meaningful than she ever imagined.
“Our theme this year was 'Shine Your Light' and we asked people to give us pictures of things that made them happy," explained Clayton. "All of these pictures are these amazing families and that's the most important part of it, just giving these families a place to be accepted and make sure people know that they have a community."
The rainbow flags will fly at Beale Park at 9 a.m. on Sat, June 24. The event is free to attend.
