WHITE RIVER JUNCTION — Signs advertising the village’s upcoming LGBTQ Pride celebration had hardly been in the ground a week before they began to disappear.

Organizers of the fourth annual White River Junction PRIDE celebration said that all 19 signs they had placed downtown — both in publicly permitted spaces and on private properties — have been stolen.

The Pride Week to celebrate inclusion and diversity of the LGBTQ community is scheduled to run from July 22 to 29. Main Street Museum, which hosts the weeklong event, began learning from residents over the weekend that advertisement signs they had placed the previous week had gone missing.

“Yesterday I drove around White River Junction, and every one of the signs we had placed was gone,” museum volunteer Joie Finley told the Valley News on Wednesday.

Only one sign, located on the museum’s property, was left, according to Finley. Perhaps the thief believed the Pride event signs do not belong on public property, Finley said, though Finley had carefully consulted with town departments about the rules and allowable locations to place event signage.

Also, Finley noted, other signs in those locations were not removed. Pride event signs were also stolen from outside private homes.

Steven Pomije, a museum volunteer, said his sign was taken from his front lawn over the weekend when he was out of town.

“This was a thing purposefully done,” Pomije said. “Unfortunately, there are people in this town who don’t value diversity.”

Most upsetting, the event organizers said, is that the money to purchase these signs — a cost of $400 — came entirely from community donations.

The Main Street Museum is a nonprofit educational space and event venue that is run by volunteers and funded primarily by donations and grants and private rentals. The museum exhibits are free of charge.

“To me, the (sign thief) isn’t stealing from LGBTQ Pride or from the museum but from the charitable donors that support us,” Finley said.

Finley said she is hesitant to react in a way that might give the perpetrator a feeling of validation. She also did not report the incident to the Hartford Police Department, as she feels the officers have bigger priorities.

“Haters are going to hate,” Finley said. “We’re not going to let this get us down. We’re going to move forward.”

As of Wednesday morning, Finley still had 10 yard signs that had not yet been distributed. She said she is uncertain whether the museum would have more signs printed in time for the event.

Finley said the board would likely be discussing the swiped signs this week. She said she hopes that members find a “creative” and constructive way to respond.

Pomije said the theft should not be allowed to go unchecked.

On Wednesday, Pomije posted a message on an Upper Valley community page on Facebook asking supporters to help replace the stolen signs and to share any information related to the crime with Hartford police.

“The town should condemn it,” Pomije said. “This isn’t vandalism. This is targeting an event for a marginalized group of the community. The town needs to make a statement.”

Acting Town Manager Gail Ostrout told the Valley News that she was unaware of this sign theft, and the police department does not have a report or a record of the incident.

Chief of Police Gregory Sheldon could not be reached for comment.

White River Junction Pride kicks off Saturday, July 22, at 9:45 a.m. with the raising of an LGBTQ Pride flag at Hartford Town Hall. This will be the first year the flag is raised outside the town building. Earlier this year, the Hartford Selectboard approved a flag-raising policy that was drafted and presented by Finley.

This year’s Pride week will have 12 events, with the addition of five new activities from the previous year. Added events include a game night at Fourth Place, a gaming shop in Hanover, and a clothing swap hosted by the Rainbow Alliance of Hartford.

Returning events will include a Pride Parade, a drag trivia night and an all-ages craft studio to make wearable Pride art.

“Queer or not, this is a community event,” Finley said. “We just want people to have fun.”

Patrick Adrian may be reached at padrian@vnews.com or at 603-727-3216.