Sandoval County’s first-ever Pride celebration coming to Rio Rancho this June

A question posed in these pages last May — “Where’s the Pride in Sandoval County?” — is about to have an answer.

Rio Rancho will host its first-ever Pride celebration on June 6, the result of a grassroots effort that came together after our sister paper, the Sandoval Signpost, reported that New Mexico’s third-largest county had no Pride events, proclamations or celebrations of any kind. 

“Rio Rancho deserves something like that,” said Deb Dapson, one of the event’s organizers. “When that article came out, I went, I can’t mull anymore. This has to happen.”

While Dapson is a sitting city councilor, this event is not city-sponsored. The event is free, family-friendly and entirely community-funded — no taxpayer dollars are involved.

Dapson connected with Ericka Van Eckhoutte, who co-founded the Rio Rancho Pride Facebook group in 2022 after moving to the area and finding no visible LGBTQ+ community presence. What started as a small Facebook group had struggled to gain traction — until the right people came together at the right time.

“The stars aligned,” Van Eckhoutte said. “We all had the same idea, but just needed the right people.”

Also helping lead the effort are former Democratic Party of Sandoval County chair and current Rio Rancho mayoral candidate Alexandria Piland and community organizer Madigan Ray. The group has coordinated largely through Discord, with a shared spreadsheet tracking the many moving parts of putting on Rio Rancho’s first-ever Pride event.

“There’s not really been one leader at any given time,” Piland said. “It’s been very collaborative. Whoever’s there, somebody will take control and run it.”

The June 6 event — scheduled for the week before Albuquerque PrideFest — will be held at Rio Rancho’s Haynes Park and is expected to resemble the city’s Juneteenth celebration in format, with food trucks, vendors and entertainment taking center stage over formal speeches. Organizers are in talks with drag performers and the Gay Men’s Chorus of New Mexico, and plan to have a live band and DJ.

“This isn’t the Folsom Street Fair,” Ray said with a laugh. “This is going to be a party you can bring your kids to.”

Organizers say they’ve been heartened by the community response so far, including volunteers from a local Boy Scout troop who reached out wanting to help with setup and cleanup. Dapson noted that a vocal minority on platforms like Nextdoor has pushed back, but she and her fellow organizers believe supporters far outnumber detractors.

“The people with progressive ideas outnumber the people who think this is supposed to be a conservative city,” Dapson said.

Piland, who said she sat through county commission meetings in June without any acknowledgment of Pride Month, sees the event as long overdue. “It’s 2026. Nobody should have to hide.”

Piland also noted the event has economic upside: drawing attendees from across the metro area the week before Albuquerque’s own celebration stands to bring new gross receipts tax revenue into Rio Rancho.

The group is still seeking sponsors, volunteers, food truck vendors and entertainment. Local tattoo artists and shop owners interested in participating in flash sale fundraisers to benefit the festival are encouraged to reach out at [email protected].

Donations to help cover permits, entertainment and other costs can be made through CashApp at $SandovalCountyPride. A community participation interest form is also available for those who want to get involved.

For Van Eckhoutte, who has spent years trying to build a visible LGBTQ+ community in Rio Rancho, the moment carries real weight.

“I took a picture during our first meeting,” she said, “and that picture is tacked up on my wall. That’s my motivation — this is the day this all started.”