By Valerie Posthumus
The Haldimand Press
DUNNVILLE—On Friday, February 17, 2023, Pride Haldimand Norfolk held their first Pride Crawl. The event saw attendees move, or “crawl”, from business to business in downtown Dunnville from 6 to 8 p.m. for fun and friendship.
Local businesses participating in the event included Art Rocks and Namastay Café, The Minga, Sweet Retro-spect, and The Creative Barracks. Each business had treats and sweets for those who purchased tickets and live music was performed by The Shrubberies and Victor Margado.
Event co-ordinator Robyn Cunningham said, “The impetus for all of this was just kind of to get the community together more often than just one day a year.”
Zach Johnson and Douglas Borg of St. Catharines at Sweet Retrospect. They got a bag of the store’s famous popcorn for stopping in.
—Haldimand Press photos by Val Posthumus.
Cunningham noted that Pride Day will be May 27 in Caledonia this year, but that expanding their event offerings allows them to spread the love “into the little pockets of Haldimand and Norfolk”. Along with showcasing local Pride, it offers a chance to showcase and give thanks to the local businesses that support the LGBTQ+ community as well.
She explained, “We are hoping to get into the smaller communities … (and provide an) understanding of where the places are you should be spending your money. Spend your money locally and do it with places that are encouraging and supportive of our community. That was kind of the idea behind it.”
“We are making it work and people are having a great time,” said Cunningham. “Approximately 40 tickets were sold, so we are happy with the numbers and the people that have come out have been so supportive and encouraging and they want to see this happen monthly or bi-monthly, so it’s encouraging for us. This is the start of many, hopefully.”
Ego Stavinga of Dunnville
Visit Pride Haldimand Norfolk on Facebook for upcoming events, including a Drag Story Time in Simcoe for March Break. Funds raised will go toward the annual Pride Day, a free event for all community members that includes music, information booths, food, and more.
