Douglas County PrideFest returns May 17 at Salisbury Regional Park

Douglas County PrideFest is returning to Salisbury Regional Park in Parker on May 17, reclaiming a public gathering place after a year-long hiatus and putting LGBTQ+ residents, families and allies back in the middle of the county’s civic life. For a community that has worked to build its own spaces for celebration and support, the comeback carries weight well beyond one afternoon of programming.

The festival is scheduled from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. at Salisbury Park, 11920 N Motsenbocker Rd. Tickets are free, but each attendee needs a ticket, and this year’s event will be held on the multi-purpose field rather than at the equestrian center. Brooke Bernstein, president of Douglas County Pride, has cast the return as a visible show of support for the community, a message that lands especially strongly in Parker, where a public, family-friendly park gives the event a more open and central place.

Douglas County Pride says PrideFest exists to celebrate, affirm and uplift the LGBTQIA+ community in Douglas County and beyond, and describes the festival as centered on acceptance, visibility, safety and belonging. That mission helps explain why the return matters now. The organization said it is raising $20,000 to cover essential costs and keep the event safe, visible and accessible, with donations going toward fencing, stage and sound, and security. In a county where public events can quickly become symbolic, those details are part of the story, not just the logistics.

The 2026 comeback follows a year in which PrideFest was not held because board turnover left the organization without enough capacity to put on the festival while also maintaining its monthly social and support group meetings. The pause made this year’s return feel less like a routine annual date and more like a recovery effort, shaped by the volunteers and leaders who kept Douglas County Pride moving through a difficult stretch.

The festival’s history also explains the emphasis on safety. Organizers moved PrideFest from Castle Rock to Parker in 2024, and earlier events drew protests and backlash. This year’s plan includes perimeter fencing, police presence and a strict code of conduct. In Salisbury Regional Park, PrideFest is not only coming back. It is staking a claim that LGBTQ+ people and their families belong in Douglas County’s shared public spaces.