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Dan Guller, an organizer with Darien Pride, poses at home with his son Eli, 3, and dog Anya in Darien, Conn., on Tuesday November 16, 2021.
Christian Abraham / Hearst Connecticut Media
DARIEN — The first major large-scale Pride celebration in Darien’s history will be held this summer, building on last year’s Pride activities in town.
Dan Guller, one of the event organizers on the Darien Pride committee, said a rally will be held June 12 at Tilly Pond Park.
Last year, numerous organizations and buildings in town, including Darien Town Hall, flew pride flags throughout the month of June.
“A group of us were like, ‘Well, let's continue this,’” Guller said. “We thought, ‘Let’s build on last year. Let's have a party.’”
All residents are invited to attend the event at Tilly Pond Park, which will run from noon to 4 p.m. and feature food trucks, a DJ, live entertainment and kid-friendly activities, Guller said. The event is free and open to the public.
The event is sponsored by Baywater Properties, which will coordinate reserving the space and securing the proper licenses and insurance for the event, Guller said.
While attendance is hard to gauge, Guller said organizers are using last year’s Pride celebration in Westport as a metric for what to expect. That event drew a crowd of 400 people, Guller said.
Guller said the Darien event will serve as a reminder of inclusivity measures in town. Last fall, students from Darien High School testified about experiencing homophobia and harassment because of their sexual orientation.
With the first-ever Pride celebration in town, Guller said he hopes those students hear the message of town-wide support loud and clear.
“This seems like a great opportunity to show these students, and all students who feel disenfranchised, that the grownups have their backs,” Guller said.