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ILLINOIS — Pride season festivals are returning in diverse form throughout Illinois this summer, with at least 51 online or in-person events hosted by an Illinois entity and another nine highlight online events from across the nation.

Among the big developments this year: The Project of the Quad Cities has stepped forth to lead six Pride or LGBTQ-related events throughout June in Davenport and Moline. New fests are popping up in communities like Galena and Mt. Carmel, several Chicago-area events are back this year as the pandemic winds down, and Black queer pride events are happening both online and in-person.

Also among the ever-growing tally of events so far: kink and leather pride events; gatherings to commemorate the Pulse Nightclub shooting in 2016; several “Pride ride” outdoor events statewide; and TONS of drag.

All in all, you’ll find events in Batavia, Belleville, Bloomington, Buffalo Grove, Carbondale, Champaign, Dixon, the Fox Valley area, Freeport, Galena, Moline and the Quad Cities area, Peoria, Waukegan, and Woodstock. This calendar is continuously updated so check back for the latest. If YOU have an event for Pride to be listed on this calendar, CLICK HERE.

Check out the “Pride Season in Illinois” calendar in The Real Mainstream, the most comprehensive source for Pride throughout Iowa and Illinois.

(last updated 5:15 am May 31)

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