PRIDE FEST @ Twisp Commons Park & TwispWorks
10 AM: Meet at the Twisp Commons Park (Community Center) for sign making, face painting, advocacy with Methow Rising, and games at 10am!
11 AM: Protest alongside Highway 20. Details below on why and what we are protesting!
12 - 3 PM: Festival at TwispWorks
12-12:30 - Speakers and sign up for flash tattoos by Caitlin Cordell!
12:30-1 - Explore the vendors, games, and ‘Quiet Space’ space! Vendors will be present for the entire event
1 - 1:30 - Special Guest Musical Performances by Loren Boley and Magnolia Brown
1:30 - 2:30 - Continue to enjoy vendors or participate in the Methow Meet and Greet (OSB) to meet your queer and allied neighbors. Make a new connection!
Quiet Space & Intention Setting: A supported sanctuary room in YourSpace with a calming intention setting portal created and assisted by Imelda Barnard and Laura Gunnip
Chill Zone in Fireweed Print Shop: An air conditioned chill zone for indoor eating and friend vibes.
Mark your calendars and bring your whole beautiful selves. 🌈
This year's Pride includes a protest because we are witnessing escalating harm directed toward LGBTQ+ people. Hundreds of laws affecting LGBTQ+ people have been introduced across the country this year alone — including policies that could directly impact folks here in Washington
Why is Pride a protest this year? I thought it was a celebration.
It's both — and it always has been. Pride began as a protest in 1969 when LGBTQ+ people fought back against police raids on the Stonewall Inn. Today we celebrate how far we've come, and we protest because there is still so much at stake. In 2026, with hundreds of anti-LGBTQ+ laws being introduced across the country, marching is one of the most important things our community can do together. Sign ideas here!
What exactly are you protesting?
Specific laws and policies that harm LGBTQ+ people — including people right here in our region. A Washington state ballot initiative would ban transgender girls from school sports. An Idaho law criminalizes transgender people for using public restrooms. Federally, bills are being introduced that would erase LGBTQ+ topics from school curricula and force schools to out transgender students to their parents. These are real policies with real consequences for real people in our community.
Additionally, LGBTQ+ people are being targeted and erased in this country. Trans and LGBTQ+ folks continue to be killed by hate. Many others are displaced, isolated, and psychologically harmed. We protest all forms of LGBTQ+ harm.
Learn more about just a few of the things we are protesting here.
Isn't this just a political issue? Why is a community group getting involved?
When laws make our neighbors less safe, that's not just politics — it's personal. 90% of LGBTQ+ young people say recent legislation has caused them stress or anxiety, and nearly 8 in 10 say it has made them feel unsafe. Methow Pride exists to build a community where LGBTQIA+ people feel affirmed and supported. That mission requires us to speak up when our community is under threat.
I support LGBTQ+ people but I'm not sure about protesting. Is there another way to help?
Absolutely. Showing up in any visible way matters enormously. You can sit in your car in the Community Center parking lot, hang out in the park, or join us at TwispWorks at noon. Research shows that LGBTQ+ youth in accepting communities attempt suicide at less than a third of the rate of those in unaccepting ones. Whether you march, wear a button, put a sign in your window, or simply tell the LGBTQ+ people in your life that you support them — it all counts. Come and just be present if that feels right. You don't have to carry a sign to show you care.
Why does this matter in a small rural community like the Methow Valley?
Because LGBTQIA+ people live here too — and rural communities can sometimes feel especially isolating for queer people. Methow Pride envisions a valley where every LGBTQIA+ person feels present, safe, alive, and thriving. Building that kind of belonging takes all of us.