It’s another huge weekend for Pride celebrations in Illinois and Iowa — especially in Illinois, where six big Pride fests take place from Galena to Carbondale.
In addition, Iowa hosts the state’s largest annual Pride event:Â Â the three-day Capital City Pride Fest, starting today and continuing through Sunday with not only the festival, but a Pride Stride, silent disco, pet parade, drag shows at The Blazing Saddle and The Garden, and more.
Upcoming events include Red Ribbon Gala, DIY jewelry, concert, art show, more
At least another 11 related Pride events are also happening this weekend in Iowa and Illinois. They include:
- the multimedia SEEN photography exhibit tonight, and Brian Justin Crum concert tomorrow night for southern Illinoisans.
- the online auction for a sold-out Red Ribbon Gala Saturday, which anyone can join remotely by signing up here;
- a race to benefit the Gay-Straight Alliance in Tuscola, Ill.;
- a Pride parade in Cedar Rapids, one month before the city’s big Pride event;
- a Queer Coffee Social at Iowa City’s Englert Theatre Saturday;
- two do-it-yourself Pride jewelry events at Beadology Iowa in Iowa City on Saturday, including one to benefit the Iowa Trans Mutual Aid Fund;
- a Burlington, Iowa-based day of resilience Sunday related to honoring victims of violence;
- a Matthew Shepard-themed live-stream from The Quire of Eastern Iowa in Iowa City;
- the 9th annual 9th Annual Pride Family Cookout in Peoria
- and a Sunday showing at Davenport’s Figge Art Museum of “4 Moons,”. a film about “love and disgust” among “four men from different generations as they face their conflicts and fears.”
This weekend’s Pride fests include Carbondale, Des Moines, Elk Grove, Galena, Geneva, Kewanee, Mount Carmel
Some communities are holding their first or second Pride celebrations. Kewanee, Ill., is plowing forth with Kewanee’s first-ever Pride celebration Saturday after facing religion-based attacks from some community members. Carbondale continues not only its festival, but also a car cruise it started during COVID and a unity walk, tomorrow with the Pride in Action Southern Il Pride Fest. Find out more about all of this at the group’s Facebook page.
Elk Grove celebrates Pride for its fourth straight year. Festivals happening for their third straight year include the Galena Pride Picnic at noon Saturday, Family Pride in Geneva at 2 p.m. Saturday, and Mount Carmel, with a Pride fair starting at 4 p.m.
Looking ahead: Pride at Bass Street Landing in Moline, Iowa City Pride, more queer cinema, and much more
Next week is one of the busiest Pride weeks of the season, with at least eight festivals happening across the two states including in Chicago, the Quad Cities with Pride Party at Bass Street Landing, and Iowa City Pride. Both the Quad Cities and Iowa City will also hold parades next Saturday, and both Iowa City Pride and QC Unity encourage walkers to join on to their parades for no fee.
Also coming up next week, before the big events, Riverside Pride happens in Fort Madison, Ia., for its second straight year Thursday. The Project hosts an educational dinner at The Current Thursday, too, where you can learn about how to be supportive of LGBTQ+ people in all kinds of environments.
In addition, FilmScene in Iowa City continues its “Doing Gender” series with the award-winning “Tangerine.” And on Friday, there’s a Pool Party in Iowa City and a Pride Paint Party at Clock Inc. in the Quad Cities.
For a rundown of dozens of Pride events, check this calendar for Iowa, and this calendar for Illinois. If you know of an event that should be listed, email reachus@therealmainstream.com.
