There was a party at South Park in Mansfield on June 27 and 1,000 friends of the LGBTQIA+ community were proud to attend.
“It’s a big celebration,” said Chelssie Dwiggins, president of the Mansfield Gay Pride Association. “We’re acting up a little bit, but professionally and with courtesy and kindness.”
Mansfield Pride 2026 brought visitors from across the Buckeye State.
“We have people coming all the way from Cleveland and Columbus,” Dwiggins said. “And people from all the contiguous counties are here.”
There were a lot of Richland County residents, too.
“Most of them are local, which is exactly what we’re here to do,” Dwiggins said. “We’re here for Mansfield.”
‘Pride’s really important for visibility’
This year’s Pride event was in South Park to accommodate construction of the city’s Main Street Improvement Project.
It was a homecoming for the event — South Park hosted Mansfield’s first Pride celebration in 2015 and the second in 2016.
“Then it was moved to Central Park,” Dwiggins said.
Organizers held the event downtown for eight years.
“Pride’s really important for visibility, representation,” Dwiggins said. “The thought process was that we were going to get more visibility, more outreach through Central Park.”
The strategy worked. By 2019, attendance had grown to more than 2,000 people. Then COVID happened.
“We’re slowly starting to creep back up again,” Dwiggins said.
Had the city project not taken place, Pride would have been downtown again this year. The coincidence proved to be a pleasant surprise.
“This has a bit more of a community feel,” Dwiggins said. “It’s a beautiful park. I don’t know if it gets used as much as it should.”
The association plans to survey everyone who attended to see how they felt about the venue. Early results have been positive.
“The community’s kind of telling us they like it back here at South Park,” Dwiggins said. “If anybody wanted to give us feedback they can email info@mansfieldpride.org.”
‘So many smiles’
The park was filled with music throughout Pride, interrupted only long enough to introduce a few drag performers.
“There are just so many smiles,” Dwiggins said. “We have had such a wide, diverse group of people here today.”
A dedicated kid’s zone was free for families.
“There’s a ticket so kids that can go and get a hot dog,” Dwiggins said. “Buckeye Bakery provided some cookies, so we have a big old platter of Pride cookies.”
Amid the fun were a few important messages, like suicide prevention and free testing for sexually transmitted diseases.
“Get yourself tested and be responsible for yourself and others,” Dwiggins said. “Some of our health options are going away, so it’s very important that the community knows what resources are still available.”
‘Everybody’s really kind and accepting’
The event was a pleasant surprise for Kate Dobson, who moved to Mansfield from Toledo last year.
“The atmosphere is very friendly,” Dobson said. “Everybody’s smiling and we’re all having a good time.”
The Pride event in South Park felt like home.
“I think Mansfield is a little Toledo,” Dobson said. “Everybody’s really kind and accepting and it’s really nice.”
Among the vendors, near a tent that sold jewelry and crafts, was a group promoting self defense and the second amendment. Another table brought messages from a local church, including on that read: “God loves you, no exceptions.”
“That was really cool,” Dobson said. “I wasn’t expecting that.”
The 2027 Pride event promises to be even bigger.
“I’m bringing my sister next year,” Dobson said. “It’s a goal for us to have my parents, my sister, my uncle and everybody.”
Organizers have not determined the date and location for Mansfield Pride 2027. A safe bet, though, is that it will be on a Saturday in June, which is National Pride Month.
“You’ve got four or five weekends, so we will pick one,” Dwiggins said. “Whatever works best for the group.”
Contact Zach Tuggle at 419-564-3508. Follow him on X at @zachtuggle.
This article originally appeared on Mansfield News Journal: Mansfield Pride 2026 at South Park hosted 1,000 LGBTQIA+ friends
Reporting by Zach Tuggle, Mansfield News Journal / Mansfield News Journal
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
By Zach Tuggle, Mansfield News Journal | USA TODAY Network
