Rainbows, roller disco and wedding vows

Adams County host second annual Pride celebration at Riverdale Regional Park

BY SCOTT TAYLOR STAYLOR@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM

As eight couples gathered below the stage, waiting to say their nuptial vows, o ciant Stella Diver said it was nearly enough to make a drag queen cry.

“ e only reason they chose me to do this is because my heart is made of ice,” Diver said at Adams County’s rst Marriagepalooza mass wedding event. “But looking at everyone right now, I’m starting to get a little misty.”

But speaking to the crowd at Adams County’s Riverdale Regional Park gathered for Adams County’s second annual Pride celebration, the Denver-based drag performer said it was much more than just emotional. It was important.

“Even now, the love we share for each other is questioned and considered an act of rebellion,” Diver said. “Pride is our moment, our month, to show the world how proud we are of the love we have for each other. And it does not stop with this weekend. e step you are taking today to cement your love for each other allows Pride to live on every day.”

And then Diver led the 16 people in their vows — moving forward into a great commitment of their love, promising to keep their part- ner’s heart safe and asking them to love their partners as much as they love themselves.

And with that, Diver declared them married.

It was an experiment this year, Adams County Clerk Josh Zygielbaum said. He plans to bring the event back next year, bigger and even better.

“It was not as large as I wanted it to be, but it’s our rst year doing it,” he said. “Next year I anticipate we’ll have more.” e 2022 celebration featured a concert and exhibition by muralists

Babe Walls and garnered the county the “Non-Fair Facility Usage Award 2022” from the International Association of Fairs and Expos, which e bill was introduced as a companion measure to Senate Bill 213, which would have rewritten land-use rules across the state and was the governor’s signature e ort at the Capitol this year to encourage more a ordable housing. But Senate Bill 213 failed on the nal day of the 2023 legislative session, leaving House Bill 1255 as one of the only major housing bills approved by the General Assembly and signed into law this year.

“We know we have more work to do to make sure that all our communities are part of the solution, but what this bill does is it says no community can be part of the problem any longer,” Polis said before signing the bill.

Rep. William Lindstedt, D-Broomeld, one of the prime sponsors of House Bill 1255, said while the measure was aimed at assisting the