KOKOMO — Surrounded by cheering onlookers, Maddie Krieg was engaged to Lacy Robust in entrance of an archway of rainbow balloons. Grinning, she mentioned had been shocked by Robust’s proposal.

It was the couple’s first time attending a pleasure pageant collectively. Saturday additionally marked the primary time Kokomo Satisfaction hosted a pageant.

Robust defined she had been planning to suggest on the pageant, hoping to make their first time attending one together with her to-be fiancee extra memorable.

“I knew it was going to be quickly,” Krieg mentioned. “Simply not now, not right this moment.”

Days earlier than the occasion, Sheyenne Adams, interim director of Kokomo Satisfaction, defined the occasion was organized in just a few months. The group had confronted a handful of challenges, similar to discovering meals vehicles that hadn’t already been booked and studying extra concerning the permits they would want.

“It’s thrilling,” Adams mentioned at first of the pageant. “It’s been anxious however thrilling that persons are right here.”

Paul Novak, a member of Kokomo Satisfaction who based the group’s youth group, defined Kokomo Satisfaction began in 2013 as an internet group.

“I’m actually pleased with how far it’s come,” Novak mentioned. “Yearly it will get larger and higher.”

The pageant featured greater than 20 cubicles of native and statewide companies or organizations. Group Howard Regional Well being, the Kokomo-Howard County Public Library and Turning Level had been amongst native organizations there.

Solar King Kokomo was the first host of the occasion and pledged to present 10% of the day’s earnings to Kokomo Satisfaction.

Skye Wilson, occasion coordinator for Solar King and a Kokomo Satisfaction board member, mentioned one in every of her first objectives after beginning on the brewery was to throw a pleasure occasion.

Throughout the first two hours of the pageant, she mentioned, the bar had greater than 400 prospects.

“It’s wonderful,” Wilson mentioned, “I couldn’t be happier.”

The brewery’s loading dock was reworked right into a stage for the pageant, with 4 bands on the lineup.

Peacehead was the primary to carry out, happening shortly after the pageant began at 1 p.m.

“I simply love the sensation of being your self and never caring what different folks assume,” mentioned Aden Johnson, a member of the native punk band.

Colin Halton, a guitarist within the second band, Numb Slog, mirrored Johnson’s sentiment.

“I identical to seeing folks in the neighborhood out right here and mingling,” Halton mentioned. “It positively appears like one thing is coming. Kokomo is rising.”

Adams took the stage between units and thanked the group for attending. After cheers died down, she retrieved a manila folder and commenced studying a proclamation from the mayor’s workplace.

In recognition of Juneteenth and Satisfaction occasions held Saturday, Mayor Tyler Moore declared June 18, 2022, “Inclusion Day.” Within the doc, he urged the residents of Kokomo to “develop into extra conscious of the impression” of Saturday’s occasions and to “replicate on the continued wrestle for equality these in our neighborhood face.”

Fade Salon, a store that’s positioned within the 500 block of Buckeye Avenue, was among the many cubicles that lined the road. The tent’s free glitter hair gel marked the hair and beards of a number of guests.

Lindsey Ogle, who owns Fade Salon, mentioned she had given the colourful association of glitter hair gels a take a look at run on the Indianapolis Satisfaction pageant. The gel had been fashionable there, as effectively.

“We wished to contribute a enjoyable, interactive, expressive exercise,” Ogle mentioned. “It’s been superior.”

Members of the Indiana Crossroad Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence sported colourful glitter beards on the pageant. Dressed as nuns and holding paper followers, the three sisters posed with attendees who requested to take images with them.

Every member’s make-up took roughly 45 minutes to use. Their white face paint hearkened again to the ‘70s, when members of the LGBTQ+ neighborhood needed to preserve their sexual orientation hidden.

The Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence is a nonprofit group that goals to advertise human rights and variety, the group defined.

“We deliver pleasure and expedite stigmatic guilt,” mentioned Sister Pinko Liberal Commie Snowflake-Nutjob.

There have been additionally a handful of fogeys on the occasion with shirts or indicators that mentioned “free mother hugs” or “free dad hugs.”

James Ashcroft, whose signal additionally mentioned “You’re legitimate,” was fortunately shocked by the quantity of people that had taken him up on the provide.

When he was youthful, Ashcroft defined, he hadn’t felt accepted and struggled to ask for the issues he wished. So, he was glad to see younger folks reaching out and asking for a hug.

“I simply need everyone to know they’re legitimate and accepted,” Ashcroft mentioned. “It’s been very nice.”

By 7 p.m., the pageant was starting to wind down. Distributors packed up whereas reside music and celebrations carried on.

Adams famous the constructive suggestions she had acquired all through the pageant. Quite a few attendees expressed pleasure for the occasion and a substantial quantity of distributors offered out of merchandise, she mentioned. Some distributors had even requested to be notified after they may join subsequent yr’s pageant.

Already contemplating how the celebration might be improved upon, Adams mentioned the subsequent pleasure pageant may be held in a park the place guests may unfold out and extra distributors would have the ability to arrange cubicles.

Kokomo Satisfaction will start planning for the 2023 Satisfaction Competition quickly, she mentioned.