Musical artist Velma Celli

It’s Pride Month next month and there are plenty of LGTBQIA+ celebrations happening in Skipton to look forward to, including the first ever outdoor Pride event at Aireville Park on July 2nd.

Pride is a time when millions of people across the country come together in love and friendship to support their local LGBTQIA+ communities. Events celebrate how far LGBTQIA+ rights have come, and highlight work still to be done toward true equality for this part of our community – 50 years after the first UK Pride event was held.

Craven District Council’s Cultural Services’ team based at Skipton Town have developed a memorable programme of events to mark the month and have been working alongside local community groups and partners such as Craven Youth Council, Skipton Library, SELFA, Craven College, Skipton Town Council and Pioneer Projects to raise awareness and promote equality.

The Town Hall delivered a selection of events for Pride month upon their reopening in 2021. This year the programme comes back more ambitious and includes an LGBTQIA+ Film Festival showcasing uplifting, thought provoking independent cinema and a Spice World Sing Along with 90’s Disco. There will also be special Pride editions of Craven Museum Make & Take family crafts and Skipton Comedy Live.

Skipton Town Council have taken the lead on organising the outdoor event “Pride in the Park” which will take place from noon until 8pm on July 2nd. The day will consist of food and drink stalls, live entertainment including RuPaul’s Drag Race star Baga Chipz and musical group Abba Re- Bjorn. There will be a fun fair with rides for all the family. A pop-up GP surgery, mental health stalls and charity groups will also be available on the day. Entry is free, but there will be the opportunity to make a donation should you wish to support future events.

Skipton Town Hall will be hosting a “Get Ready for Pride” event in the morning of the 2^nd of July where young people can get together, make new friends, and walk down to Pride in the Park together. They will be providing glitter and face paints for those who would like to use them.

The Concert Hall at Skipton Town Hall will be the venue for the Pride Afterparty where you can enjoy an evening with internationally renowned drag act, Velma Celli from 8pm!

Speaking about the series of events arranged, Craven District Council’s Cllr Simon Myers, lead member for Enterprising Craven, said: “We’re really excited to build on the success of our 2021 Pride events at Skipton Town Hall with an even more fantastic and diverse offer throughout June this year. Supporting our community and making sure everyone feels welcome and able to engage with cultural events and opportunities is at the heart of what we’re about, and we are delighted to have been able to partner with passionate and enthusiastic young people and community groups in the district on this brilliant programme.”

A spokesperson for Skipton Town Council, added: “We are looking forward to hosting Skipton’s first ever ‘Pride in the Park’. The event will be a fabulous family day for all ages, we welcome everyone to join us to celebrate Pride and step forward in progress and support of the LGBTQIA+ community. We hope this can become an annual event for the town.”

For more information and to book tickets for the events planned visit www.skiptontownhall.co.uk. To find out the latest about Pride in the Park see the Skipton Pride social media accounts on Facebook and Instagram.