Raymond Valentine has seen a lot of things in his long life, but after 80 years he doesn’t have to wait much longer to see a Pride festival in the rugged Appalachian county where he’s lived nearly his entire life. 

After the Sylva Town Council denied Sylva Pride’s road closure application for the annual Pride Parade, the community organization has decided to hold “Chalk About It,” to talk to community members and garner input on the best path forward. 

On Thursday night, Sylva community members marched to the town council meeting to show their disappointment in a recent vote to not allow the annual Sylva Pride event to close part of Main Street for a parade. 

The second annual Sylva Pride Festival will take place this weekend, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 10, at Bridge Park in downtown Sylva. The Pride Parade will kick off at noon, beginning at Bridge Park before proceeding down Main Street.