(Photo by Amber Phipps) The community was invited to attend the Parkersburg Pride Community Picnic on Sunday afternoon. Guests enjoyed classic foods like hot dogs, baked beans, chips and all the toppings.

PARKERSBURG — The community gathered in the shelter houses at City Park for the Parkersburg Pride Community Picnic on Sunday afternoon. About 50-100 people were in attendance for an afternoon of delicious food and fellowship.

The mouth-watering aroma of grilled hamburgers, charred hot dogs and baked beans drifted through the park while guests piled their plates high with classic cook-out foods.

The picnic, which was free to the public, is one of the many monthly events Parkersburg Pride hosts since the non-profit’s start in 2018.

“We decided to have a community picnic to gather the community together for some fellowship and good food,” said picnic attendee and member on the Board of Directors Beth Dennison. “We host events like bowling, pool parties, skating parties and so much more.”

Parkersburg Pride is a 501(c)(3) non-profit that provides a space for people to connect and have access to educational resources within the LGBTQ+ community. Their mission is to advocate and enrich the lives of those in the LGBTQ+ community as well as coordinate events.

(Photo by Amber Phipps) Shelterhouses A and B at the Parkersburg City Park were packed with guests attending the Parkersburg Pride Community Picnic on Sunday afternoon.

They’re currently looking for more board members for the volunteer Board of Directors who have the responsibility of planning and representing the organization in the community.

“There were about 10 of us when we started back in 2018,” said Board Member Chris Alfred. “We started because of the non-discrimination ordinance that went before the city council and failed and that’s what prompted us to try to build the community up.”

Alfred said there are now 20 to 25 people on the board and they meet monthly to schedule, discuss and plan.

He said most of their events are free but if there is a cost to participate, they try to keep it low-cost and affordable.

“We do a lot of fundraising throughout the year like our bingo twice a year and we have one coming up in October,” he said. “A lot of that generates funds and we also get sponsorships throughout the year that help raise funds for all of the events we do.”

(Photo by Amber Phipps) For dessert, guests at the Parkersburg Pride Community Picnic on Sunday could select from an array of sweets like chocolate chip cookies, brownies and more.

PrideFest is their biggest occasion of the year with several thousand people in attendance for the event in June.

The board members said the community response to the monthly events has been really great and the picnic attendees enjoyed the afternoon of food and conversation.

During board meetings, they also take into consideration the ideas that are proposed to them about events or ways to get more of the community involved.

Aside from the events, the board is also looking into providing more health and educational resources.

“We’re looking into a free clinic which would basically be for low-income families that can’t afford care,” said Meghan Congrove who is a member on the board and an attendee at the picnic. “We partnered with several other organizations who are looking into that.”

(Photo by Amber Phipps) Aside from all the delicious food at the Parkersburg Pride Community Picnic, guests could browse through memorabilia and goodies like Pride pins and stickers.

Congrove said after speaking with members on the West Virginia State Bar’s LGBTQ+ Committee, they decided to start looking into the clinic and providing additional resources for the community.

Parkersburg Pride hosts monthly events and more information can be found on their website www.parkersburgpride.org or social media @PKBPride

Community meetings are held on the fourth Monday of each month at 6:30 p.m. at the First Presbyterian Church located on 1341 Juliana Street.

(Photo by Amber Phipps) From left, Kristen Ruble, Daniel Miller, Charla Ruble, Liz King, and Mariah Norris enjoying their meals at the Parkersburg Pride Community Picnic on Sunday.