May 2026 Board Letter from Danielle
When my wife and I moved here four years ago with our two young children, we knew there would be ample opportunities to take them hiking amidst the trees and to raise them in a small town where they had the chance to know and be known by their community, but we never could have imagined we would find such a thriving, engaged, and joyful intergenerational queer community.
When Rick first approached me about joining the board three years ago and taking the lead on the Pride Family Fest, I was curious but uncertain. It would have been easy to say I was too busy. I work full-time as a director for Stanford Sierra Youth and Families, a local mental health non-profit that serves youth and families in our Nevada County community. I am a mother to two unexpectedly athletic school-aged kids whose sports practices keep us out of the house most evenings and weekends. It felt easier to say no; to stick with what I knew and the plenty I already had to do. But still, part of the joy of living in a smaller community is the inescapable truth that it is your community. That your action, or inaction, can play a tangible role in creating the fabric of the place that surrounds you.
And so, I said yes. That one yes has led to so many opportunities, relationships, and moments of joy. I’ve gotten to know my fellow NCP board members and the remarkable ways they give of themselves to help ensure our community is thriving, visible, and celebrated. I’ve had the opportunity to speak at local churches and organizations about the importance of understanding and respecting people’s pronouns and gender identity. I’ve been able to hand out pride flags that celebrate their unique identities to giddy youth at the Thursday Night Market and watch their eyes light up as they finally feel seen. I am a part of something that I believe in, surrounded by people who are also willing to take action to help create the community they want to live in. Perhaps most impactfully for me, I’ve gotten to work with an incredible team of planning committee members and community volunteers to help bring you the Pride Family Fest for the past three years, and to watch it grow in attendance, impact, and joy. Last month, I was volunteering in my daughter’s classroom when an eager student approached me and said the Pride Family Fest is her favorite day of the year. To be honest, it’s one of my favorites too.
Planning for this year’s event is well underway, and we are working hard to create a day that will bring even more opportunities for joy, connection, and community for everyone who joins us. In addition to our usual games, art projects, family photos, face painting, and wonderful food, this year’s event will also have a bounce house (all ages!), snow cones, cotton candy, aerial artists, musical performances, a special celebration of our queer elders, and an intergenerational reading corner.
If there’s one thing this past year has continued to remind us, it’s that we cannot allow the world to silence us, to erase us, or to rob our fellow LGBTQIA+ community members and us of our histories, our futures, and our joy. And so, we urge you to say yes: yes to attending, yes to helping spread the word, yes to bringing with you someone who hasn’t come before, and we hope, yes, to volunteering to help make the day possible. While it takes months of planning, it also takes over 40 volunteers on the day of the event to help everything go smoothly. No matter your skills or interests, there is a place for everyone to contribute. From keeping the beverages full and helping with the food line to transporting supplies or taking a shift at the reading corner, there is something for everyone. As the saying goes: many hands make light work. ” Please sign up for your volunteer shift here: Volunteer Sign up Link, and we hope to see you on June 28 th at 11 am at the Condon Park Pavilion.
In Community,
Danielle Vanaman
(she/her)
Nevada County Pride Board Member