Chicago Pride Month June 2022
The annual Chicago Pride Parade is the culmination of a busy Pride Month full of gay celebrations. Pride Fest kicks off a week long buildup in Boystown, while events like the Dyke March, and Back Lot Bash and Pride North offer Pride weekend partying in alternative gayborhoods .
Events include sporting events, food tastings, parades, plays, musical performances, parties, queer youth gatherings, and ceremonies of all kinds.
Street Closure & Parking Information
EVENT WEEKEND:
Halsted Street between Addison and Grace will close at 11:59 PM on Thursday and will reopen at 4:00 AM on Monday. Street closures will also impact Waveland between Halsted and Broadway, as well as Bradley Place.
Parking RestrictionsNO PARKING will be allowed from 8:00AM Thursday 9/30, through 11:00 AM Monday, 10/4 on the following streets:800-858 W. BRADLEY PL.
Vehicles left on the street will be ticketed and towed at owners expense.
No access to Halsted Street surface parking lots or parking garages beginning Thursday at 11:59pm through Monday at 4:00am.
The Whole Foods parking lot will remain open for customers, with access on Waveland west of Halsted during regular operating hours.
Support Metro Weeklys Journalism
These are challenging times for news organizations. And yet its crucial we stay active and provide vital resources and information to both our local readers and the world. So wont you please take a moment and consider supporting Metro Weekly with a membership? For as little as $5 a month, you can help ensure Metro Weekly magazine and MetroWeekly.com remain free, viable resources as we provide the best, most diverse, culturally-resonant LGBTQ coverage in both the D.C. region and around the world. Memberships come with exclusive perks and discounts, your own personal digital delivery of each weeks magazine , access to our Member’s Lounge when it launches this fall, and exclusive members-only items like Metro Weekly Membership Mugs and Tote Bags! Check out all our membership levels here and please join us today!
You May Like: Columbia College Chicago Financial Aid
Best Place To View The Chicago Pride Parade
- For the liveliest viewing spots head to the Boystown section of North Halsted Street, between Belmont Avenue and Grace Street.
- If you are seeking a less crowded area to view the parade, look for your viewing spots near the beginning of the route along Broadway between Montrose Avenue and Sheridan Road or further along Broadway between Belmont Avenue and Diversey Parkway.
The Pandemic Cancelled Pride Celebrations In 2020 Forced Cancellations Again This Year But Some Have Gone Virtual While Others Will Be Held In The Fall
Pride Weekend, which traditionally falls on the last weekend of June each year to commemorate the Stonewall Riots can be celebrated year-round, and no more true than this year. While the uncertainty that the covid-19 pandemic has caused forced the postponement of Pride parades in some cities until 2022 out of an abundance of caution, organizers in other major cities found a workaround.
Some major cities are taking their celebrations online where those who want to take part can follow planned activities live over streaming platforms. Other Pride organizers chose to move the LGBTQ+ community celebration of self-affirmation and visibility to September or October, which is LGBTQ+ History Month.
Recommended Reading: Chicago Architecture Foundation Center River Cruise
When Is Chicago Pride
The Chicago Pride Fest two-day celebration traditionally takes place the weekend before the parade, but remains on hold for 2021. Pride in the Park is on Saturday, June 26 and Sunday June 27, 2021 at Butler Field in Grant Park.
The Chicago Pride Parade was initially rescheduled to Sunday, October 3 due to the coronavirus pandemic. The parade has since been cancelled for 2021.
Events: The Parade
The 51st annual Chicago Pride Parade marches through the city’s Boystown neighborhood with the annual parade kicking off at noon on Sunday, October 3, 2021, at Montrose Avenue and Broadway in the Uptown neighborhood. The parade winds its way through the north side of the city, ending near the intersection of Diversey Parkway and Sheridan Road in Lincoln Park. Pride Month in June highlights Chicago’s vibrant LGBT community. The energy in the city peaks on Pride Weekend, which traditionally falls on the last weekend of June each year to commemorate the Stonewall Riots.
More after the photo – 2019 Chicago Pride Parade, photo by Steven Koch for GoPride.com
The annual parade marks the uprising, outside New Yorks landmark Stonewall Inn, which began the Gay Rights Movement. During Chicago Pride Fest the weekend prior, stages of music, exhibitors, great food and drinks will be available to enjoy. In the evening the revelers will pour into Boystown clubs and party into the wee hours of the night.
> If you’re visiting Chicago, find special offers on hotel rooms on ChicagoPride.com
Organizers Said They Were Nave To Think Enough People Would Get Vaccinated
By Rhuaridh Marron September 3, 2021
The Chicago Pride Parade has been officially canceled for the second year in a row, with organizers saying they were naïve to think they could trust enough people to get vaccinated.
Originally set to go ahead on Oct. 3, the Pride Parade will now take place on June 26, 2022, organizers told GoPride.com.
Were going to believe that in June, 2022 we are living in a far safer world than now, Tim Frye, coordinator of Chicago Pride, said. We intend to have the best, most joyous, fabulous, memorable Pride Parade ever.
In an official statement, Frye blamed vaccine skepticism which has been spurred by right-wing media, politicians, and religious figures was to blame for the cancelation.
With the advent of three effective vaccines, we felt that the date would allow for most people to be vaccinated and, thus, make it much safer to have a parade, Frye said. Sadly, we were very naïve in that belief or, a more accurate word hope. Everyone knows the reasons we were wrong in our estimate as to how safe things would be in the fall. Leave it at that.
Frye added: To use the words of a song from the 60s: You Cant Always Get What You Want we really wanted and hoped that there could be a parade in 2021. We dont feel, though, that we can do it safely for everyone in the parade and the people watching. We must cancel the parade for the second year.
You May Like: Flights From Chicago To Newark Nj
Chaka Khan Tisto And Betty Who To Play Pride In The Park Fest In Grant Park Next Month
The two-day music festival celebrating LGBTQ Pride will be held June 2627 at Grant Park’s Butler Field, 100 S. Lake Shore Drive.
- Credibility:
- As a news piece, this article cites verifiable, third-party sources which have all been thoroughly fact-checked and deemed credible by the Newsroom.×closeSources Cited
DOWNTOWN Chaka Khan, Tiësto and Betty Who are set to perform at Pride in the Park, an LGBTQ-friendly music festival returning to Grant Park next month after being canceled last year by the pandemic.
The two-day festival will be held June 26-27 at Grant Parks Butler Field, 100 S. Lake Shore Drive, and feature a diverse lineup of musicians, DJs and drag performers.
Chaka Khan will headline Pride in the Park with producer Gryffin and EDM artist Tiësto.
Other musicians include Australian American singer Betty Who, local queer DJ Derrick Carter and Tracy Young, an LGBTQ community member whos the first woman to receive a Grammy for best-remixed recording.
Pride in the Park will also feature a variety of drag performances, including from local RuPauls Drag Race stars Denali Foxx, The Vixen and Naysha Lopez. Other local drag performers include Tenderoni, Miss Toto, CircuitMOM and Jo MaMa.
We continue to celebrate Pride to remind us of our achievements and to also remind us of our history, struggles and work that is yet to be done, Carpenter said.
Already subscribe? to support Block Club with a tax-deductible donation.
Pride Storytelling With Chicago Public Library
Chicago Public Libraries are introducing virtual storytelling events for children throughout the month, starting this Thursday at 11 a.m.
The events will take place over Zoom with free registration. CPL asks that participants register at least 24 hours in advance.
The libraries also offer a Pride Month coloring sheet to print.
Don’t Miss: Best Nursing Homes In Chicago
About Chicago Gay Pride
Gay Pride Chicago is a huge gay event taking place each year in Illinois’ largest city and includes a weekend festival and Parade on Pride Sunday. However, Gay Pride Chicago is just one part of June Pride Month in the city. Historically, in the 1970’s and 1980’s, Pride events were concentrated during a week called ‘Pride Week’ in Chicago. Then Pride Week was expanded to ‘Pride Month’ in order to accommodate the abundance of events. Now theres a whole 30 days of around 100 different social, cultural and sporting events that take place in different areas of the Chicago metro area. Expect workshops, dances, picnics, plays, film screenings and more!
The Chicago Pride Parade, also called the Chicago Gay Pride Parade or PRIDE Chicago, is held on the last Sunday of June. Chicago’s Pride Parade is one of the largest, by attendance, in the world with 1,000,000+ people. The first parade was organized on June 27, 1970, as a march from Washington Square to the Water Tower, but then many of the participants spontaneously marched on to the Civic Center Plaza. For many years, the parade was held only in Lake View East. Recent parades have extended the route into the Uptown neighborhood.
As the Chicago Pride Parade is held on the last Sunday in June, weather for the event is usually warm and dry, so there’s no excuse not to get out your finest tee, and march with pride in this lively city of Illinois. So, have you penciled in Gay Pride Chicago to calendar yet? We sure hope so!
Chicago’s Role In The Gay Rights Movement
First American gay-rights group founded here: In 1924, postal clerk Henry Gerber formed the Society for Human Rights. He was soon arrested for being gay. He was never convicted, but the publicity led to his firing for conduct unbecoming a postal worker. The group quickly disbanded. In 2015, Gerber’s home at 1710 N. Crilly Court in the Old Town Triangle neighborhood was designated a National Historic Landmark.
First Gay Pride Parade in the U.S.: More a march than a parade, the city’s Gay Liberation Movement staged its first rally and procession as part of Gay Pride Week on June 27, 1970. A short Tribune story the next day said 150 people listened to speakers in Bughouse Square before walking to the Civic Center where they formed a chain around the Picasso statue and shouted, “Gay power to gay people.”
Chicago’s march preceded parades in New York City, Los Angeles and other cities by one day.
Read Also: Anxiety Treatment Center Of Greater Chicago
Chicago Pride Parade Nation’s Third Largest Postponed
Organizers hope to hold the parade in late summer or fall.
Chicagos LGBTQ Pride Parade, the third largest in the nation, has been postponed due to the COVID-19 crisis.
We are sad to announce that the annual Pride Parade will not take place this year on June 28, parade coordinator Tim Frye said in a statement issued Wednesday. We announce this postponement in the hope that conditions will allow the parade to take place later this summer or early fall.
Safety is the first priority for our participants in the parade the hundreds of thousands of spectators as well as all the city agencies and independent contractors that work so hard to make the parade a success every year, he continued. Even if rescheduling the 2020 parade is not possible, the Pride Parade will be back in 2021 and for years to come, he said. Chicagos parade trails only New Yorks and San Franciscos in terms of size.
Also, the citys Pride Fest, a street festival set for the weekend before the parade, has been tentatively rescheduled for Labor Day weekend, said officials with the Northalsted Business Alliance, which organizes the event. The group is working on virtual programming for June and still plans to hold another popular street fair, Northalsted Market Days, August 8-9.
New York and San Francisco have already canceled their Prides due to the health situation, and organizers are looking at ways to celebrate online. Los Angeles has postponed its event.
Chance The Rapper Set To Fulfill Promise To Get Tattoo Celebrating Sky’s Wnba Title
Pride in the Park will be one of the city’s first live, in-person concerts since the start of the coronavirus pandemic last year, and will be the festivals second event since launching in 2019.
The two day festival is set to take place June 26 and 27, with tickets starting at $40 for general admission.
You May Like: City Of Chicago Rent Assistance
Pride Hiit Workout: Fundraiser
New to pride celebrations this year, trainer Austin Head will lead a total body high-intensity interval training workout on June 6 at 10 a.m. at Replay Lakeview, complete with $10 bottles of champagne, $3 Bud Light beers and brunch food.
Organizers will donate $20 of the $35 fee to participate to Chicago House, which benefits the LGBTQ+ community in the city.
Pride Tips From Locals
Dining
I enjoy watching the parade while I sat in some prime realty. Like a great restaurant with a martini in one hand and a waiting fork in the other. There are many fine restaurants on the route, but get there early!Andy Farriester, Restaurant Review/Editor
With half a million people expected to visit Boystown over Pride weekend, they will all be looking to enjoy the great food we have here. Head to the ChicagoPride.com dining channel and make some reservations early!Bill Pritchard, SVP Community Affairs, GoPride
Brunch is to Boystown as Gay is to Gaga! Some of the gayberhood brunch spots, like Angelina Ristorante, Nookies Tree and Jacks on Halsted offer brunch on Saturday as well as Sunday.Bill Pritchard, SVP Community Affairs, GoPride
Sunday brunch may be a bit tricky as the Pride Parade begins at 12:00 p.m. Most popular spots will have a Pride Package that day: Divalicious Brunch at Kit Kat Lounge, DS Tequila, and Scarlets Liquid Brunch just to name a few.Bill Pritchard, SVP Community Affairs, GoPride
You might consider heading north just a bit and enjoy dining in the LGBT community of Andersonville! Hamburger Marys has some of the tastiest treats ever invented like the Mary Tyler Smore! Ann Sather boasts some hearty breakfast fare including one huge cinnamon roll. Bill Pritchard, SVP Community Affairs, ChicagoPride.com
Getting rest
Meeting People
Out of towners should figure out a way to advertise they’re from out of town…increases trick potential.David H.
Read Also: Hotels In Lincoln Park Chicago
Program For Atlanta Pride
The following is the event program of a previous pride edition. Stay tuned for the 2021 program.
Atlanta Gay Pride activities are spread out over most of October: speeches, special events, parties, and workshops are held throughout the month leading up to the big event. During the week before the Atlanta Pride Parade, a Dyke March and a Trans March take place. Piedmont Park is the center of activity for the festival weekend. Music, food, and fun are the order of the day. Polish up that old car and rev your ‘cycle for the Pride Car and Motorcycle Show and enjoy the fabulous Marketplace with over 200 vendors expected. Come expecting a fun-filled, active weekend and you won’t be disappointed!
The most sought-after ticket in town, however, is the Kickoff Party. This glam affair is held at the Georgia Aquarium on Friday, October 11, starting at 7pm and lasting into the wee hours. Touted as the city’s biggest and best cocktail party, this event is the official opening of the Atlanta Gay Pride weekend festivities which lead up to the iconic parade. There is also an after-party beginning around 3am for those unable to attend the main Kickoff Party, or for those who simply want to keep the party spirit alive a little longer.
Be sure to make your plans early for this memorable gay pride event that showcases the best of Atlanta’s LGBTQ community. So will we be seeing you there this October?
- Book with a tap. Download our app now.