From left, Indivisible MOV member Lori Fils paints Leann Chandler's face during Parkersburg Pride Fest Saturday afternoon at City Park. (Photo by Gwen Sour)

PARKERSBURG — Parkersburg Pride held its eighth annual Pride Fest at City Park, with an estimated attendance of 5,000 to 6,000 people, organizers said.

The event featured 96 vendors, according to Meghan Congrove, President of Parkersburg Pride who was hosting the event. Vendors included small businesses, corporate businesses, food vendors and nonprofit organizations.

The festival has been held at City Park each year and is intended to bring different groups together for the LGBTQIA+ community, Congrove said.

“It is a just a wide open event (for organizations and people) to come together and show love and solidarity for the LGBTQIA+ community,” she said.

The event drew people to the park throughout the day, where vendors and organizations were set up as part of the annual festival. Congrove said the event has continued to grow as Parkersburg Pride has returned to City Park each year.

Thousands of people filled City Park for Parkersburg Pride Fest Saturday afternoon. (Photo by Gwen Sour)

Pride also has personal meaning for Congrove.

“It means literally everything to me,” she said. “I not only am the president of this, but I’m also an active-duty military spouse to a woman, so it actually literally is deep in our soul. I mean, it’s just our entire being and our presence. It’s who I am.”

Congrove said her role with Parkersburg Pride and her personal life both shape the way she views the annual event. She said the festival gives people a place to gather while also allowing businesses, vendors and nonprofit organizations to participate.

She hopes attendees will take away a message of kindness from the event.

“The kindness,” she said. “The kindness that is surrounded. I have been complimented more here today than I think I ever have been in my life, of how beautiful I was, or things like that, in just taking the labels away, like we’re all human, so kindness matters, and just keep that mentality always.”

Charleston-based Drag Queen Red Scare performs "Science Fiction Double Feature" from "Rocky Horror Picture Show" during Parkersburg Pride Fest Saturday afternoon at Parkersburg City Park. (Photo by Gwen Sour)

Attendees echoed the sentiment including Shroom Moellendick.

“My favorite thing about Pride as a whole,” they said. “Is all the artists that we can see and watch from all different demographics.”

Lucy Lipps, a local Drag Queen and performer said that her favorite part of Pride was the community.

“We can all come together – we can be ourselves just with love and diversity,” she said. “Especially with the trying times we are in right now, especially with the fact that our current administration doesn’t like what we’re doing or doesn’t like us for who we are.”

Professor Bubblemaker performs a bubble show at Parkersburg Pride Fest Saturday afternoon at Parkersburg City Park. (Photo by Gwen Sour)

Local Drag Queen Karma Suit Ya performs to a large crowd during Parkersburg Pride Fest Saturday at City Park. (Photo by Gwen Sour)

The cast of the Actors Guild of Parkersburg's production of "American Idiot" performs selections from the musical during Parkersburg Pride Fest Saturday afternoon at Parkersburg City Park. (Photo by Gwen Sour)