Attending Chicago Pride Fest!
Earlier this week I attended Chicago Pride Fest, a festival that happens every summer in the Boys Town neighborhood. This year, it took place on June 22nd and 23rd and included performances from big names like famous drag queen Sapphira Cristál, JoJo Siwa, and Natasha Bedingfield. The event also includes tons of vendors and food stands, all supporting the LGBTQ+ community in Chicago!
This event is arguably the craziest and most vibrant pride event in Chicago, and does an incredible job at showcasing the massive pride community in the city. With it taking place in Boys Town, the neighborhood already shows so much support and everyone comes out to celebrate. The event is also free which makes it incredibly accessible for anyone who wants to experience it! I truly cannot emphasize enough about how amazing the community was at the event. Members of the LGBTQ+ community often experience some of the most discrimination and mistreatment in their lives, and so when they celebrate they truly welcome everyone and go all out and it really showed at Pride Fest this year. I had so many great, quick conversations with people I had never met before and everyone was just so happy to be there with their community.
I have to talk about the main performers that were there. I would argue that Pride Fest has some of the best performances out of the free events in Chicago, and this year was no exception. As I mentioned earlier the big names this year were performers like JoJo Siwa and Natasha Bedingfield, but there were so many great performers and artists there alongside them. Unsurprisingly, Pride Fest does a great job at showcasing performers who are members of the the LGBTQ+ community and there were tons of acts like drag shows and dance DJ sets. On top of all of the performances, they had many showcases for art and products made by members of the LGBTQ+ community, with most coming from Chicago or the Chicago area.
The final topic I’d like to mention is what Pride Fest represents. For the city of Chicago, it is a grand showcase of the support that members of the pride community can find within the city. The event is massive in size, turnout, and support, and it goes to show how amazing the city is with regard to welcoming those who often face discrimination and mistreatment. Additionally, this festival represents one of the many amazing and free things to do in Chicago. This post is showcasing it from a student perspective, but it would be fun for anyone! I have come across so many festivals like Pride Fest on top of all of the amazing events DePaul puts on as well as the city and all of the organizations supporting different communities within it. Whether you are looking for something specific to one community or interest, or are open to checking out anything and everything, there is always something to do in this amazing city.
Overall, Pride Fest is a truly unique and wonderful experience for any who attend. The event is put on by an incredible community that is filled with support. The people at the event are so kind and are always having a great time and making everyone feel incredibly welcome. On top of all of that, the event has incredible performances and artists, all supporting the Pride community. Definitely check it out next year!
~Jeff