Illinois' Statewide Pride: From Small Towns to the Big City, the LGBTQ+ Community Celebrates

June is coming soon, and with it come colorful celebrations of LGBTQ+ Pride in communities of all sizes throughout Illinois.

In fact, the season officially gets underway even sooner, with Springfield's big festivities on May 18. By jumping the gun on June, when so much of the world gets wrapped in rainbows, the state capital provides a reminder that every month is Pride month in Illinois.

Here's a look at just a few of the Pride events coming up statewide.

Springfield PrideFest - Saturday, May 18

The early date for PrideFest means members of the queer community can get the party started well before their hometown festivities in June. And a little road trip to Springfield is a perfect way to celebrate this year's PrideFest theme, "Enjoy The Journey,"

Springfield's short but buoyant downtown parade, which starts at 11:30 a.m. near 5th and Vine streets, gives same-sex parents and their allies from around the state a wonderful opportunity to share pride with their children: The floats and music will be entirely family friendly, with zero tolerance for nudity or anything sexually provocative. Local high school and junior high marching bands will add to the sense of community and inclusivity.

Following the parade, festivities centered around South 5th and East Monroe streets will feature over 100 vendors and non-profit groups. Non-stop entertainment will stretch into the evening hours with highlights including Rock & Roll Sisters, a showcase of local women musicians; The Brat Pack, a fun-loving '80s cover band; and a drag extravaganza to cap off the fun.

Springfield PrideFest is presented by the Phoenix Center of Central Illinois.

Galena - June 8

Nobody leaves Galena's Pride Picnic thinking that small towns are small minded! Another of Illinois's uniquely family-friendly celebrations of the LGBTQ+ community, the picnic is marking its fourth anniversary this year.

The fun-filled gathering will take place in Grant Park, from Noon to 5 p.m. All are welcome to bring their own picnic lunches or purchase culinary creations from some of Galena's LGBT-owned and allied businesses, including the Galena Bakehouse, whose owners, husbands Geoff and Alex Arroyo-Karnish, are among the picnic's founding organizers.

A cheerful crowd of over 500 attended last year's picnic, enjoying live music, a demonstration of dog tricks (your furry friends are welcome to join you), and a hilarious drag show.

Throughout June, Galena's famously LGBTQ+-friendly Main Street, with over 100 small shops and restaurants, will be festooned with Pride flags, and the footbridge leading into Grant Park will be decorated in rainbow colors.

Long a favorite small town getaway for queer travelers from Illinois and beyond, Galena is home to three of the country's top-ranked bed and breakfasts, all of which are gay-owned. So consider turning the picnic into a weekend by making a reservation at the Aldrich Guest House, Jail Hill Inn, or Hawk Valley Retreat and Cottages.

Mount Vernon - June 22

With progress comes Pride, and the queer community of Mount Vernon, in southern Illinois couldn't be prouder of having organized their first-ever city LGBTQ+ celebration just last year.

Building on that successful and well-received debut, the OUT Mt. Vernon organization invites friends and allies from near and far to come out, show their support and make the second annual Pride in the Park an even bigger splash.

The gathering will take place around the Rolland Lewis Building in Veteran's Memorial Park from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. and feature information booths showcasing local non-profits, food and merchandise vendors, and plenty of live entertainment.

Chicago - June 22-30

By the last weekend of Pride Month, rainbow energy will have reached full force and on June 30, over a million exuberant LGBTQ+ folks from all over Illinois and the entire Midwest will make their way to the Chicago Pride Parade, one of the nation's largest.

This year's parade – the city's 53rd! – is themed "Pride is Power" and will feature over 125 contingents marching from Uptown, starting at 11 a.m., through Lakeview and into Lincoln Park.

Uptown gay hot spots will be abuzz on parade day as locals and visitors fuel up with brunch burritos at Tweet and get merry on Bloody Marys at Big Chick's and the Granville Anvil.

The parade caps off a full week of Chicago Pride events, including the highly anticipated Pride Festival, to be held on June 22 and 23 in the city's historically queer Northalsted neighborhood. Big name entertainers scheduled for this year's fest include Natasha Bedingfield, JoJo Siwa, Bob the Drag Queen, "Glee" alum Amber Riley, and pop band Empress Of.

Visitors can slip away to Andersonville, another of Chicago's great gay enclaves, to find endless queer souvenir options in the multi-level Andersonville Galleria, a quirky collection of retail shops specializing in art, jewelry, clothing, and gourmet goodies, many of which are LGBTQ+-owned.

Afterward, stop into one of the neighborhood's high-spirited gay watering holes, including Replay Andersonville, Marty's Martini Bar, and Meeting House Tavern. And for a provocative look at a niche of queer history, check out the Leather Archives and Museum in the adjacent Rogers Park neighborhood.

To plan your Illinois adventure for Pride month or any time of year, visit www.enjoyillinois.com.