About Silverton Pride
A community-built celebration rooted in love, history, and the people who show up for each other.
A day to bloom together
The event
Silverton Pride is a free, community-led celebration held annually at Coolidge Park in the heart of Silverton, Oregon. Each year, we gather to celebrate who we are, honor the community members who came before us, and grow the roots that hold us all together.
This year's theme, Rooted in Community, is our love letter to everything that makes Silverton special: the camaraderie, the collective joy, and the deep sense of belonging that comes from truly showing up for one another.
Our history
Where our roots began
The rainbow family lunch
For several years, Silverton's LGBTQ+ community gathered quietly at Coolidge-McClaine Park for what was known as the Rainbow Family Lunch (formerly the Queer Family Picnic), founded by Brianna Wolterman-Baker. No formal event, no sponsors, no stage. Just community members choosing to be in the same space together, sharing food and finding each other.
Every year, people would ask in local social media groups whether there was an official Pride celebration in Silverton. Every year, the answer was "no." But the spirit of something bigger was already growing.
The beginning
"Because Silverton holds the honor of being known as the first city in the United States to elect a transgender mayor, it didn't make sense not to have an official Pride celebration."
—Silverton Pride Founders
The answer became “yes”
In late 2024, Karyssa Dow, Ronnie Needles, and Molly "MJ" Kennedy decided to change that answer. Drawing on the foundation Brianna had already built with the Rainbow Family Lunch, they set out to create something official, something that honored what was already there and grew it into a full community celebration.
The decision was simple: use what was already underway, honor the tradition of gathering, and make it bigger. Silverton deserved a Pride of its own.
Late 2024
Our inaugural pride
Silverton Pride's inaugural year exceeded every expectation. The generosity of the Silverton community was overwhelming: in sponsorships, in vendor participation, in volunteer hours, and most of all in showing up. The park was filled with smiles, laughter, and an energy that can only come from a community that has long waited to truly see itself celebrated.
Year one taught us so much. What works, what to grow, and just how deeply this event is needed and loved. We are so proud of what was built in that first year, and we couldn't be more grateful to everyone who made it happen.
To our first-year sponsors, vendors, volunteers, and attendees: thank you. You are the roots.
June 2025 — Year one!
Rooted in community
Armed with the lessons of year one and the momentum of a community that showed up in a big way, we're back and ready to grow even deeper. This year's theme, Rooted in Community, reflects exactly where we are: building something lasting, together.
New this year: a live music lineup, an After Party Drag Show, expanded vendors, and a community that now knows what Silverton Pride feels like. We can't wait to show you what year two looks like.
June 2026 — Year two
The crew behind the fun
Our Team
Karyssa Dow (she/her)
Founder/President
Ronnie Needles (he/him)
Founder/Vice President
Molly “MJ” Kennedy (she/her)
Founder
Brianna “Bri” Wolterman-Baker (she/they)
Queer Lunch Founder/Volunteers
Fields Delmar (they/them)
Queer Lunch Founder/
Community outreach
Whitney Flinn (she/her)
Raffle
Beth Turner (she/her)
Community outreach
Sean Needles (he/him)
Coordination extraordinaire/hype person
Shawn Truelove (they/he/she)
Vendors
Sierra Johnson (she/her)
Marketing & Comms
Method behind the madness
Our committees
The engine that keeps Pride running. Our Fundraising Committee works behind the scenes to secure the sponsorships and resources that make June 27th possible for everyone: free of charge, open to all.
Fundraising
Entertainment
The heartbeat of the celebration. Our Entertainment Committee curates the live music lineup and coordinates the After Party Drag Show, ensuring every moment of Pride 2026 is unforgettable from the first note to the final bow.
Pride takes all of us, and this committee makes sure we have the right people in the right places. Our Volunteer Committee recruits, trains, and supports the incredible team of helpers who make the day run smoothly so everyone else can simply celebrate.
Volunteers
Community is best celebrated together, and our Vendor Committee makes sure the park is filled with the makers, artists, and organizations that make Silverton special. They're the ones connecting local businesses to Pride and bringing our Rooted in Community theme to life one booth at a time.
Vendors
A little extra fun with a big community payoff. Our Raffle Committee sources prizes, organizes entries, and brings some friendly excitement to Pride day, all while raising funds to keep the celebration going year after year.
Raffle
Roots don't grow alone. Our Community Outreach Committee is the bridge between Silverton Pride and the wider community: from the t-shirt design contest to local business connections, they make sure Pride is woven into the fabric of Silverton long before June 27th arrives.