Support for Pride of Dripping Springs grows after banner bandits target promotion efforts
DRIPPING SPRINGS, Texas - A sea of rainbow colors filled the Dripping Springs Event Center on Saturday.
"Anything you can think of that you want customized for your family or your animals, we make them," said Jessica Williams, helping a vendor called Tantalizing Tumblers.
The vendors are part of Pride of Dripping Springs.
"We really wanted to create a place where a lot of the folks that live out here felt safe, felt like they had an environment where they could be themselves," said Juana Searcy, president of Pride of Dripping Springs.
Searcy said this is the event's fourth year, and it’s bound to keep coming back despite pushback.
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On the day of the Pride celebration, there was a Hays constable vehicle posted at a sign in the heart of town promoting the event. Organizers said it was vandalized early in the week.
While they were replacing it, they said a truck drove by and yelled an expletive at them. A few hours after they replaced it, someone ripped it down and stole it.
"Which, you know, is frustrating," said Searcy. "At the end of the day though, it probably worked out great for us. We've had a ton of publicity from it, and honestly, a lot of people came out to rally with us. More people donated, more people showed up to show their support."
Those there to support include the New Life Lutheran Church of Dripping Springs.
"I am truly overwhelmed by the family love here," said Pastor Candice Combs. "I really hope that the people that are afraid of these kinds of events get to see how family-oriented and loving it is, and they would be welcome here too."
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"To see everybody together and just be united in something positive, I like the vibes," said Williams. "That’s what it should be about."
By the end of the day, Searcy said she expects about several thousand people to attend.
"That’s probably the best part of the whole thing is ‘wow’ there’s just so many people out here that are allies and just really wonderful and supporters in the community that are here to say ‘yeah, we love you guys, and we’re all here, and we’re all neighbors’," said Searcy.