This past weekend was the 11th annual Vancouver Island Pagan Pride Day. After ten years of successful events in Nanaimo, the local organizer decided it was time to pass the event off to someone else.
I’d been approached by someone several years ago to host an event similar to the one in Nanaimo. Back then, I declined, knowing how much effort by many people it takes to put on an event, even a one day event. However, faced with the possibility of having no Pagan Pride Day on the Island, I turned to friends in my community. After consulting with and getting the support of others, I decided to take on the project.
We’ve been working for months, meeting and planning and raising money to put on the event. Reaching out to performers and vendors and others in the Pagan community. We had our bumps along the way, and yet we all managed to make it through the event, with no casualties!
I’m very glad I was not working this past week – there were so many details to take care of!
The biggest concern was how many people would come. We moved the event from Nanaimo to Courtenay, and the location, while a large park, is a little off the beaten path. Would people be able to find us?
We needn’t have worried. We had plenty of vendors, and lots of people come through. Wonderful entertainers, learned workshop presenters, and abundant contributions to the Comox Valley Food Bank and LUSH Valley Food Action Society.
I am so grateful for each member of the team who helped bring this event to its successful completion. I had a wonderful day, and so did many of the people I spoke with.
And now, back to our regularly scheduled programming (in other words, back to work).
Blessings,
Mary