Christmas Pride in the Park on Saturday in Hamilton East

Pride in the Park on Saturday afternoon at Steele Park has an open invitation to all members of the community. Photo / File

Hamilton Pride is asking all whānau and friends to share an afternoon of community spirit before the summer holiday break, with a Pride in the Park event at Steele Park in Hamilton East, on Saturday December 21 from 3pm.

Hamilton Pride traditionally runs a week of events in September, but in a move to become more visible and provide more opportunities for the community this year the group has scheduled a Pride in the Park event open to all just before Christmas.

Hamilton Pride chairperson Jason Wade says: "We have had feedback from our community that they would like to see more regular and inclusive events, not just one week of the year which we are trying to deliver."

"This year we decided that the Pride board should stand back from directly organising Pride Week so that it could focus on strengthening its governance, finances, and administration processes.

"We were very lucky this year to have Melissa Goodman and Scott Turner take the lead who coordinated many of the events that took place," Jason said.

"They did a wonderful job, and without them the week would not have happened. We believe we are more organised and ready to tackle our 2020 event sooner than previous years and look forward to engaging with the community in the new year to establish what they would like to see."

Hamilton Pride try to meet once a month followed by Pink Drinks. Hamilton Pride are keen to increase attendance and visibility in the city.

"We can at times as a rainbow and queer community feel fragmented, but we would really like to bring together as many in our community to support each other as often as practical and build a stronger community for all, young, old, and the diverse queer spectrum.

"We'd love to hear from anyone and all those that are keen to get involved."

Pride in the Park on Saturday has an open invitation to all members of the community, not just those that are part of the queer family.

People are encouraged to bring along any outdoor activities to play, bring some food to share, there will be a barbecue available for anyone that would like to pop a sausage on the grill, or just hang out on a blanket and chat.

After about 6pm, those that wish to have a drink or two are encouraged to pop over the road to Cook Street Social.

Duck Island Ice Cream have generously agreed to support the event and any member of the public who says they are with Hamilton Pride when purchasing an ice cream will get free toppings between 3pm and 5pm.

For more information check out Hamilton Pride's Facebook page.