The third annual Snovalley Pride will kick off with a picnic at the Tolt Commons in Carnation on June 8, beginning at 11 a.m., which will feature live music, delectable tastings, and art-making stations.

Compared to other statewide Pride events, Snoqualmie Valley's may seem small– but that's part of its strength, allowing for that small-town, community feel that bigger events can't match.

"I think to build a space where people can feel safe enough to be who they are, especially in the place that they call home, is a really powerful and important thing, especially at this time right now in our country's history," Greg Jamiel, Snovalley Pride founder, told the SGN.

Treehouse Point, an Issaquah business that has supported Snovalley Pride since its start, will sponsor the beeswax rainbow-candle-making booth this year. Emily Nelson, a representative of Treehouse Point, shared with the SGN the importance of supporting local organizations like Snovalley Pride.

"To help on a local level, with the idea that this will continue to spread joy and love, is really one of the most important things for us as a family business and just as a human," Nelson said.

The list of performers also aligns with the space Snovalley Pride intends to create. This year's lineup includes Stephanie Anne Johnson, Brittany Davis, Xander Corbett, and Elizabeth Hill and the Valley Folk.

Hill, a Snoqualmie Valley resident, learned about Snovalley Pride through a fellow musician and event organizer in the area and was later contacted by Jamiel to be a performer at the 2024 Pride Picnic.

As a Queer musician, last year's event was important for her and the community, as it allowed them to celebrate Pride openly in the valley.

"I've lived out in the valley for 38 years, and we've always had Queer people out here. But we've been kind of like a 'don't ask, don't tell' kind of situation," Hill told the SGN.

DEI rollbacks cause challenges
Similarly to other Pride organizations across the nation, the rollback of DEI initiatives has led Snovalley Pride to experience a gap in funding, but not in the way larger Pride events have, with sponsors dropping out.

Jamiel said that when selecting sponsors for the organization, it focused on local donations, support from businesses, and grants, because of the false allyship displayed by larger corporations. This has not only benefited the organization but also the businesses that support the event.

"It's our consumers, people who come to our events, that are going to go shop at the local business," Jamiel said. "So, we choose to elevate and lift up the small businesses who support us, and we push people right back to them."

On the other hand, the grant application process has been challenging as an LGBTQIA+ nonprofit, as it was uncertain it would be able to receive federal funding. This has led Snovalley Pride to focus more on local and state grants from King County and the Duvall Rotary Club.

Snovalley Pride will also host additional events this summer, like "Kindness Is Our Campfire," a campaign dedicated to creating community connection in a safe space. Jamiel said the best way to support Snovalley Pride is to attend its events.

In light of the federal and state attacks on the LGBTQIA+ community, Jamiel emphasized that we've experienced hardships before.

"I think our whole Queer community is facing really challenging, dark, scary times, and I think it's important for all of us to remember that we've been in times like this before," Jamiel said.

Jamiel also wrote and illustrated a book about Uni, a unicorn who lives in Carnation and goes on a quest to find kindness in the valley with his best friend, Benny the Bear. Two hundred copies will be available for purchase at the Pride picnic event.

"The story focuses on sharing lessons of kindness to each other and the land we live on," Jamiel said.

For more information visit https://www.SnovalleyPride.org.