Moose Jaw Pride is reaching out to the public when it comes to planning this year’s Pride Week events. 

Every Thursday at 6 p.m. starting today, a planning meeting is held at the Moose Jaw Pride offices at 345 Main St. N. or on Teams for those who aren’t able to make it. Pride Week takes place May 22-28 here in Moose Jaw. 

“It's really important to us as community stewards to create opportunities for people and families that live here to create and imagine their own programming,” said Moose Jaw Pride Executive Director Taylor Carlson.  

“So, that programming reflects what it is that they want to do and how they see themselves here in Moose Jaw.” 

Carlson said the informal meetings are a chance to brainstorm different ideas and events that can take place throughout the week as well as get a feel for volunteers who can help out during those festivities. 

“We are imagining and creating and then planning different events for Pride Week, and different folks are putting their hands up and saying hey yeah, I want to be the person who organizes a bowling night or hey, I want to be someone who helps man barricades during the Pride parade,” Carlson said. 

It’s also an exciting time for Moose Jaw Pride when it comes to Pride Week festivities. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, many of the festivities had to go virtual. 

Carlson added, however, that they still plan to keep some of the virtual events for those who still aren’t comfortable being in crowds. 

“Two years of virtual Pride Weeks and virtual programming have opened up a lot of opportunities for us that we hadn't imagined. I think a lot of groups have noticed that, hey, we get can now very easily include people who otherwise weren't able to come out to these public events,” Carlson said. 

This is also the first time in two years that they will be able to have a true Pride Parade. During the pandemic, Moose Jaw Pride was only able to have convoys of vehicles to make up for the parade. 

For information about the planning meetings and upcoming announcements about Pride Week can be found on the Moose Jaw Pride Facebook page.