Pride family picnic coming to Caledon East Park

May 23, 2024 · 0 Comments

Food, games, and entertainment planned for family-friendly event

By ZACHARY ROMAN

Local Journalism Initiative Reporter

Caledon residents are invited to an afternoon of fun at Caledon East Park.

From 12 to 3 p.m. on June 2, Caledon Pride and IDEA Caledon are hosting “Pride Family Picnic in the Park” to kick off Pride Month, which is celebrated each June.

The “IDEA” in IDEA Caledon stands for Inclusion, Diversity, Equity and Accessibility. IDEA Caledon is a leadership table of agencies and organizations in Caledon such as Caledon Community Services, Caledon Pride, Caledon Meals on Wheels, Volunteer MBC, Caledon Parent Child Centre, Caledon Public Library, Caledon OPP, and the Town of Caledon.

Sandra Sharpe, Community Development Liaison for the Town of Caledon, explained that last year, IDEA Caledon and Caledon Pride partnered to host a pride walk and received great feedback.

“We wanted to do another Pride event this year, and we thought instead of a walk, we would look at doing something that focused on families,” said Sharpe. “When we’ve connected with our 2SLGBTQIA+ community, they talked about wanting to recognise and celebrate that that they are part of a family; that they have families.”

Sharpe said there will be lots for families to do at the event. The Caledon Parent Child Centre, ecoCaledon, and Caledon Public Library will all be hosting fun activities for kids. There will be games for adults and free food.

There will be live entertainment too: a folk musician, and a Bollywood dance performance.

“We’ll be really focused on families and community and celebrating our 2SLGBTQIA+ community… demonstrating that they are part of our community and part of families… hopefully breaking down a little bit of stigma,” said Sharpe.

Those interested in attending the picnic are encouraged to register for it online on Eventbrite so organizers can plan for how much food to order.