WARREN, Ohio (WKBN) – Full Spectrum Outreach organized Warren’s first Pride Fest over Courthouse Square on Saturday.

According to organizers, they were surprised by the community response so far.

“We are pretty happy with the turnout already. We weren’t expecting people to show up at all, much less they’ve been here since 11:30 a.m. walking around. It’s really great to see everybody coming out,” said Daniel Tirabassi from Full Spectrum Outreach.

People from across the area came together to celebrate the LGBTQ community.

“This area is so diverse in just the population and to see, not just LGBTQ people, but also straight people who are just curious about what’s going on, come out and enjoy themselves, it’s really nice to see.”

In addition to a parade, vendors and community organizations set up booths. Many passed out information geared toward the LGBTQ community.

Lisa Solley with Direction Home of Eastern Ohio said it’s really important to connect with services, especially older individuals.

“Older generations, a lot of them didn’t come out or they were secretive and so they need services, but they might be afraid to ask,” Solley said.

She said older people have specific needs that they may not understand, such as wills and power of attorney forms.

People attending Pride Fest said they were glad to see the community support, especially after a long time of being overlooked.

“Knowing we are out there, our community has been hidden for so long and Pride Fest welcomes everybody,” attendee Lisa Bayus.