DOOR COUNTY (NBC 26) — Community members gathered Martin Park in Sturgeon Bay to show their support for the Open Door Pride Festival.
NBC 26 was there to cover it on Saturday.
"The first year we did this we were a little nervous, we didn't know how that was gonna turn out," Ricki Mitchell said. Mitchell has been a familiar face at the Open Door Pride Festival since its start in 2017.
"We're supporting the LGBTQ+ community. We have a trans[gender] daughter who lives here too,"
Mitchell says that with the Trump administration targeting the trans community, showing up for Pride this year and supporting the LGBTQ+ community means more than ever to her and her family.
"They've always been around in one form or another and I think it's important that we see that and we know that."
Now in its ninth year, the Open Door Pride Festival continues to bring the community together, welcoming both longtime allies and new faces, like Laura Findlay and her son, George.
"I'm part of the community myself and I just think that it's really important to show your kids that there are no right ways to be, there are no wrong ways to be," Laura said.
Her son George says that expressing pride should be something everyone feels comfortable doing.
"I think it's important for people to, like, show their pride about these things," George added.
Laura emphasized how events like the Open Door Pride Festival help sustain a sense of connection—not just for LGBTQ+ individuals, but for everyone who stands beside them, too.
"Everybody deserves their voice but because people need to know that there are still areas that are safe and that are okay," Laura mentioned.
While the festival wrapped up Saturday evening, Open Door Pride continues to have a presence every Saturday at the Sturgeon Bay Farmers Market, from 8 a.m. to noon through October.
