Oct. 4 saw a huge turnout of both attendees and sponsors for the return of the Corvallis Pride Festival after six years. 

The event was organized by Corvallis Pride and the Mid-Willamette Valley Trans Support Network. 

The family-friendly event displayed a wide variety of attractions for no cost. Ranging from local artists and resources to speakers and choir performances, organizations big and small showed up to give their support.

Dharma Mirza, director of Corvallis Pride and president of the Mid Willamette Trans Support Network, said, “I consider any day we can be in (the) community with one another a success.”

“There’ve been a lot of challenges. We lacked some institutional support to begin with and that made things really difficult,” she said. “We had struggles getting permits from the city that put us behind (and) we also had this scheduled for last weekend originally, and the county moved us to this weekend.” 

Many vendors expressed the significance of this event for them and the idea that events like the Corvallis Pride Festival help create community. 

“It’s really cool to have a space and for people to meet their local queer artists,” said co-owner of Highland Woodshop in Corvallis Katherine Edmonds, who was showcasing some of her work.

This event also served as an opportunity for resources and support groups to present themselves to the public. The Mid-Willamette Trans Support Network, Linn Benton Lincoln Health Equity Alliance and American Civil Liberties Union of Oregon were among the many to attend. 

Organizing these vendors was Kate Woods, executive of Kate Woods Solutions, the acting vendor coordinator for the event. “We’re already talking about what’s going to happen in 2026 as well as taking feedback from what worked really well this year,” Woods said. 

One activity that hooked many festival goers was the community meal. The meal was made by Culturas Unidas, a local group sponsored by the non-profit organization Growing Ancestral Roots. On the menu was Mexican corn, Peruvian potatoes, vegan tamales made with local produce and sweet potato milk bread. 

Hoiyee Cheung, the non-profit’s director and one of the chefs, said that the main objective for Growing Ancestral Roots at events is “to be able to provide opportunities and spaces for all.” 

Culturas Unidas aims to break down the barriers currently faced by many black, indigenous, people of color and immigrants entering the food industry in America. Whether that be barriers caused by lack of access to capital, land, a commercial kitchen or local produce, Cheung and the organization hope to give them a good stepping stone. 

Throughout the event, at the newly added main stage, speakers and politicians worked to engage the audience in speeches. On stage, they reflected on the past year, talked about current events and discussed future plans. 

Co-founder of Moms Demand Action for Gun Sense in Oregon and State Representative for District 16-I.E Sara Finger McDonald attended the event and gave a speech on Corvallis Pride Festival’s main stage. 

When asked the significance of events such as Corvallis Pride fest, especially in small towns, McDonald said that “(she) sees the importance in the building of community, (and) our community is diverse and broad.”

“When we exclude or marginalize parts of (the community), we all become weaker because of it,” McDonald added. “When our marginalized communities are really under threat, we need to stand up and say ‘no these are our people, and we’re gonna celebrate with love and dignity.’” 

McDonald warns that with the state of the nation at the moment, organizations like Corvallis Pride will face more competition when looking for grants. McDonald suggests that if concerned citizens wish to see events like Corvallis Pride Festival in the future, they should make time to volunteer at events like these and, if possible, donate towards similar causes.