ELGbtq+ hosting second annual Elgin Pride Parade and Festival on June 1

ELGbtq+ is putting on its second annual Elgin Pride Parade and Festival on Saturday, June 1, in downtown Elgin.

The parade steps off at 11 a.m., heading north on Riverside Drive and returning south on Grove Avenue, culminating at Festival Park.

The festival, held in Festival Park starting immediately after the parade, will feature LGBTQ+ musicians and performance artists, local vendors offering merchandise and services, and a wide selection of food and non-alcoholic drinks. It will be from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.

“We were so honored by the love and support shown by the Elgin-area community last year,” said ELGbtq+ board member Sam Raue Hebert. “We’re excited to once again provide a safe, inclusive, family-friendly environment and to showcase our amazing local organizations and vendors.”

This family-friendly, daytime event was attended by more than 4,000 people in 2023.

The 2024 event will again celebrate love, acceptance, and diversity and elevate the area’s LGBTQ+ community. ELGbtq+ welcomes everyone to join the June 1, 2024, Pride Parade and Festival to show support and celebrate with the LGBTQ+ community.

For more information, visit the ELGbtq+ website at www.elginpride.com.

ELGbtq+ is a volunteer-run 501(c)(3) aiming to foster a safe, welcoming environment where all LGBTQIA+ folks and allies in the Elgin area can come together, celebrate and learn from each other, and create unity within the community. Its mission is to create family-friendly, accessible events everyone can attend, while uplifting queer voices in and around Elgin. Monthly events include game nights, book clubs, coffee meetups, and more.