Wagga Mardi Gras organiser and Rainbow Riverina vice president Holly Conroy is excited and grateful after Wagga City Council this week confirmed funding for the 2022 Wagga Mardi Gras.

"Council has approved our funding again this year which is amazing," she said.

"I'm so grateful that we have a council that wants to move forward with the times- they really want to see equality take hold in the town."

Miss Conroy said since the first Wagga Mardi Gras in 2019, there has been a further spread of acceptance for the LGBT community across the city.

"The acceptance that has come out has been wonderful and we want to keep that growing- and it wouldn't happen without Wagga City Council," she said.

"I'm really excited for what 2022 will bring for the event."

Miss Conroy said the past two years, given COVID-19, has limited the LGBT community in terms of what they can do, so she is adamant in making sure the return of events and celebrations next year will be even bigger and better than in previous years.

"People just need to know we're coming out of this and they can look forward to the event on March 12, 2022," she said.

"I'll have some very exciting news on a possible major sponsor and a few exciting announcements to come- things are looking really positive, so stay tuned on the Wagga Mardi Gras Facebook page or website for updates.

"There will be heaps of exciting stuff to come.

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"There's still a bit of a cloud hanging over after the new COVID variant was announced, and I think it has a few people worried- but I'm organising the event as if it's going ahead. I want to make it as big as possible, I want to spread it out over a whole week if I can. After two years, we need a big celebration."

Miss Conroy said the last two years have been hard across various LGBT groups, including Rainbow Riverina and the Alphabet Soup youth group.

"Up until COVID hit, Rainbow Riverina was a great little social group for the LGBT community- we did various things together and we really did get out there to try and give the community something to do and people to hang out with people who are like-minded," she said.

"Then COVID hit and we couldn't hang out anymore and we all know the story of how COVID has affected us all and we haven't really recovered just yet.

"I think it's just the beginning though- I think after two years we're starting to get back out there and people are starting to see the light at the end of the tunnel.

"I know Rainbow Riverina is starting to get back out there and I'm also helping to get a youth group up and running called Alphabet Soup- it's an amazing group for people 18 and under- they meet up and have afternoon dinners and teas and they're also organising some events for early next year."

Miss Conroy said she is looking forward to the whole community event.

"Wagga Mardi Gras brings the whole community together," she said.

"Anyone who goes in the parade and comes to the event has to be in PG costumes- I really want my emphasis to be on the fun- vibrant colours and people can express themselves and their gender or sexual identities without being naked.

"It's a much more intimate event than the Sydney Mardi Gras.

"We have the parade in the main street of Wagga and right where the parade finishes (Victory Memorial Gardens) we have a community afterparty.

"It's free for the community and we just put on some music and there will be dancing and a bar and food."

Miss Conroy said the aim of the Mardi Gras is for communities to embrace the LGBT community.

"The night of Wagga Mardi Gras in 2019, I ran into this young guy at the club and he said, Holly, I've been wanting to run into you all day.

"He said he came out that day and that he felt comfortable enough to come out because his hometown embraced the LGBT community," she said.

"He came out to his friends and family and he hasn't looked back."

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