August Frank/Inland 360
A person walks past Sugar Babe Bakery with a window decorated in Pride colors Tuesday in Pullman.
Organizers of two celebrations this month in Pullman wanted to make sure there was a presence in the area during Pride month, only to discover they’d doubled up.
And, given the atmosphere currently, that’s not a bad thing, organizer Diana Whitney of the Intersectional Advocacy Coalition said.
“This year just seemed like a really important time to pull this together,” Whitney said.
She was part of a planning committee of about a dozen people who put together the Pullman Pride event happening Saturday, while, unbeknownst to them, Karly Gomez was working with other volunteers to plan Pullman Pride Fest, set for June 29.
“We’re all just really happy that this town is just supporting Pride in an all-out kind of way,” Whitney said.
That’s something both groups want to continue — together.
“What could have been an embarrassing coincidence has turned into a friendship,” Whitney said, noting they’re already working together to plan the 2026 event. “Next year it’ll be even better.”
August Frank/Inland 360
People are reflected in the window of O-Ramen where a Pride flag hangs in Pullman.
With other regional Pride events — in Moscow, Clarkston and Lapwai — set for September, Pullman organizers wanted to offer something this month, Whitney said: “We need something here at home that’s actually in the month of June.”
All of the events at Saturday’s festival are free, and the theme is ballroom, “celebrating the fierce legacy of queer and trans Black and brown communities who taught us what it means to walk boldly and be unapologetically ourselves,” according to the event website.
- 9 a.m. sign painting at Pups & Cups Cafe, 250 E. Main St.
- 10 a.m. rally for LGBTQ+ justice at Cougar Plaza, 415 N. Grand Ave.
- 11:30 a.m. sidewalk parade to Reaney Park, 690 NE Reaney Way, via Grand Avenue and Main Street.
- Noon to 6 p.m. festival at Reaney Park with free food, live music, a runway fashion show with prizes and kids’ activities.
Donations to support the festival can be made at zeffy.com/donation-form/pullman-pride.
August Frank/Inland 360
Lily Bee’s front window is decorated in dresses of the various colors of the rainbow in Pullman.
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Gomez said she made it a priority to create space for queer artists to sell their work when she owned Monarch Boutique in Pullman, and she’s bringing that focus to the June 29 event, also at Reaney Park.
The festival, from 1-5 p.m., includes the tagline “Compassion, Inclusion & Creativity,” and brings together queer and queer-supporting artists and vendors.
There will be activities for all ages, Gomez said via text, and educational materials about the history of Pride, “because understanding our roots is key to honoring why we celebrate.”
Moscow-based TabiKat Productions will perform a drag story time, and music, at a gentle volume, will be available by request, Gomez said, to ensure a welcoming space for participants sensitive to loud noises or big crowds.
Donations will be accepted for the Community Action Center Food Bank, such as nonperishable food items, nonfood items like cleaning supplies and toiletries, and baby supplies like formula and wipes.
And Whitman County Humane Society will have a station where supplies or funds can be donated — and is expected to bring a few adoptable animals to the festival. A list of needed items is at whitmanpets.org.
“Our focus is on art, community, connection and care — values that extend beyond June,” Gomez said.
Donations to help cover festival expenses can be made at bit.ly/pullmanpridefestfund.
Stone (she/her) can be reached at mstone@inland360.com.
