All pride and no prejudice as Wexford Pride hosts Picnic in the Park
2022 Wexford Pride in the Park
Maria Pepper
© Wexford People
Mon 6 Jun 2022 at 07:00
Wexford Pride “Picnic in the Park” was a joyous and colourful event attended by hundreds of people of all ages who danced the afternoon away to live music in a festival atmosphere.
The annual event founded in 2019 and held this year in Min Ryan Park on the theme of #Be Yourself, was truly the biggest and best yet with five hours of entertainment overseen by master of ceremonies Veronica Victor.
The programme included music by Peer Pleasure, Vistafur , The Company, stand-up comedy from Vic Kelly, spoken word performances from FDYS youth service LGBT+Orbit/Solidarity /Group and a drag show by the entertaining Cork- based Mockie Ah!.
The celebrations continued into the night with “drag bingo” and an after-party hosted by Mockie Ah! at Wexford Harbour Boat and Tennis Club.
Contributing to the festival atmosphere was an array of stalls and booths by local businesses and advocacy and community groups, including the new Wexford hand-made greeting card company Weird Watercolours.
There was a special tent courtesy of Neuro Pride Ireland equipped with sensory objects, ear defenders and weighted blankets for people with neurocognitive disabilities to relax and chill out.
A number of Wexford councillors dropped by to lend their support to the celebration which had the distinction of being the first Pride event held in Ireland this year.
Wexford Pride was first held in Redmond Park in 2019 with music from a portable stereo and people bringing their own refreshments and has grown into a much larger event over the past few years despite the restrictions of lockdown.
Chairperson of Wexford Pride, John Cunningham-Ryan said the event sends out a clear message to the Wexford community that Wexford is a safe, welcoming and fully-inclusive place to live openly with pride. To contact the organisation email wexfordpride@gmail.com