TAUNTON is gearing up for its first ever Pride Parade next weekend.

Taunton Pride will be leading the parade through town to the Taunton Live and Pride Festival in Vivary Park on Saturday, July 16.

The event was due to be held for the first time in 2020, but has been delayed until this year due to the pandemic.

Organisers are appealing to people to "make noise, dance, bring colour, creativity, and cultivate an inclusive and uniting experience increasing the visibility of our community its success".

A spokesperson said: "We invite our community and its allies to join us with marching through Taunton town, celebrating that we area beautiful, loved, accepted and a diverse and inclusive community free to love who we want. Walking Proud with who we are."

The parade theme is Celebrate Educate #IntersectionalALL and it meets up in Goodland Gardens at 11am.

It will then head up up North Street, then East Street and back to the Market House, before proceeding up High Street to finish 30 minutes after the start.

Then it's on to the free festival, which features live music, theatre, stands, arts, bar and more.

The festival, which follows a successful event in the town last year, will have two stages hosted by Queens Arina Fox and Virina Flower, with a literary area coordinated by The Jemima Layzell Trust, children’s area, artist’s quarter, wellbeing zone co-ordinated by The Sangha House and a wide range of awareness stools, food and bars.

Although it's free, you need to register for the parade at www.eventbrite.com/e/taunton-pride-parade-registration-327272550007 and the festival at www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/352065245627

Taunton Live and Pride grew out of Taunton Live Arts Festival, organised by Go Create and now a collaboration between Go Create CiC and Taunton Pride CiC.

Go Create director Liz Hutchin said: "Having organised Taunton Live Arts Festival since 2015, making the arts accessible to everyone, it's important to Go Create that we include everyone in the community, however they identify.

"On July 16, we celebrate diversity and inclusivity using the arts and culture as the vehicle to bring the community together.

"The joint festival and the Pride Parade are so important to Taunton to signal to everyone that Taunton is an inclusive and accepting town, making a visible statement that the LGBTQIA+ community is part of the overall community.”