SisterLand Farms is joining forces with Out Loud Story Slam, B & B Family Lavender Farm, North Olympic Library System, North Olympic Land Trust, North Olympic Healthcare Network, Esoterica Shop and other volunteers to celebrate Pride with a community picnic.
Following the success of last year’s Pride Picnic, SisterLand Farms has decided to double the community fun. This year’s “Coming Out” Pride Picnic, set for Saturday, June 3, begins at 6 p.m. at B & B Family Lavender Farm 5883 Old Olympic Highway.
The event includes a craft table, a clothing swap, a vegetarian potluck picnic, tables of healthcare resources, a story slam hosted by Out Loud Story Slam, and a poetry reading by Clallam County’s first Poet Laureate: Jaiden Dokken.
The entire event is free, though there will be opportunities to tip musicians and donate to community projects.
“Back in 2018, I created a two-word mission statement for my farm: Grow radically,” Jenson said at a recent Pride planning meeting. “If I’m going to honor that mission to the fullest, I need to make sure that this business is rooted in its most radical, vibrant, and colorful community.
“As farmers already know, if a crop is going to root into land for the long haul, that plant has to give something back. Pride is one way SisterLand can return the love that’s fed us so well.”
Navarra Carr, Port Angeles City Council Member, says she is excited for more Pride festivities in our region.
“Events like these let the local LGBTQ+ community connect with one another, bring our whole selves to our community, and provide much needed representation and acceptance,” Carr said.
Eli Smith, the garden assistant at the Jamestown S’Klallam Traditional Foods and Culture Program, said events like these can change the lives of local youth and long-term residents.
“I can’t imagine the positive impact events like these would’ve had on me as a child when I was developing my own identity as a queer person,” Smith said.
Organizers encourage attendees to bring a packed meal or vegetarian dish to share, and dress to impress! Prizes will be awarded to the best dressed and to the story slammer who tells the best story with the 2023 theme: “Proud of you!”
