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Planning for the third annual Pride in the Park is coming along nicely.

Founder Taylor Bear takes some time off work during the end of summer, beginning of fall to start organizing.

“Now that we’ve done it for three years, it’s gotten a little easier,” she said. “There’s a structure I know works. There will be things that are the same this year, so that’s nice and makes a smoother process than the first year. The first year – it was such a long day. There was so much stuff and it was overwhelming. I remember being exhausted, so I decided we’re going to cut it short.”

Pride in the Park is four hours, rather than an almost all-day event. Bear said the length of the first Pride did lead to some complaints, especially because of the hot weather.

“It’s July, so it’s going to be hot,” she said. “Shortening it up is so nice.”

Holding the event in July when June is designated Pride Month gives the Marshalltown event a chance to bring people to the community for a fun time.

“A lot of people travel to pride events,” Bear said. “I know I do. I have friends who do the same, and we try to make as many as we can.”

Having it in July reduces the competition Pride in the Park would face.

“That is why I picked July a few years ago,” she said. “Last year, Cedar Rapids had pushed theirs back a little bit and it was the same weekend, so we rescheduled for a little later in July. The feedback I got was that was not a good weekend because there are other things that fall in that time. I’m grateful they shifted their event back to June so we could have the second weekend of July. We’re back to the weekend everyone preferred.”

Some of the returning features of the event include a show by Live Pro Wrestling, which Bear is grateful for.

“It is so cool, and it makes us a little bit unique,” she said. “It’s something everybody can look forward to.”

Remix Dance Academy will have a performance and there will be a drag show during the last hour. Bear also has 20 vendors signed up, ranging from Sweets by Nicole to Iowa Safe Schools. She will continue taking vendor applications until July 4. Interested people can contact her via the Marshalltown Lgbtq+ Facebook page.

Something Bear added this year is a sensory hour from 2 to 3 p.m. The event can be overwhelming with the loud music, sound and people. The volume of the music will be reduced, people can engage in a sidewalk chalk collage and she hopes to secure a yoga or meditation session.

“I’m looking forward to this year,” Bear said.

EVENT INFO

Name: Pride in the Park

Location: West End Park

Address: 220 N. 13th St.

Date:July 11

Hours: Noon to 4 p.m.

Contact Lana Bradstream at 641-753-6611 ext. 210 or lbradstream@timesrepublican.com.