Festivals, Fairs & Special Events
Second Annual Pride in Park Ridge Community Celebration
SECOND ANNUAL PRIDE IN PARK RIDGE COMMUNITY CELEBRATION
Mayor Maloney to Speak after 6 p.m.
(Park Ridge, Ill., May 21, 2025) On Thursday, June 5, 2025, the second Annual Pride in Park Ridge Celebration will take place from 5–8 p.m. at Hodges Park in Uptown Park Ridge. The community-led LGBTQIA+ event, organized by local inclusive congregations, community organizations and other volunteers is for all ages and will be a lively gathering featuring a range of activities, including food trucks, a children’s area, live music, drag performers, vendors and information from local businesses. Organizations that specifically support LGBTQIA+ individuals will also share information about their services.
Following a 6 p.m welcome from Carol Hill, Senior Minister at the Park Ridge Community Church, Park Ridge Mayor Marty Maloney will issue a proclamation recognizing June as Pride month in Park Ridge.
Next, drama students from Maine South High School’s Fine Arts Department will perform monologues from its fall play The Laramie Project. The play explores the community’s response to the 1998 murder of Matthew Shepard, a young gay man in Laramie, Wyoming. The play is based on hundreds of interviews with Laramie residents that reveal a complex range of reactions to the tragedy, from anger and bewilderment to sorrow and compassion. Proceeds from the raffle at the event will benefit the Matthew Shepard Foundation.
Openly gay, Former Majority Leader of the Illinois House of Representatives Greg Harris will follow the students, reflecting on the progress made since Amsterdam legalized same-sex marriage in the city and the Netherlands nearly 25 years ago and the 10 years since the Supreme Court’s Obergefell v. Hodges decision ruled that same-sex couples have the fundamental right to marry. Harris will speak about the protections for gay rights and families that we are fortunate to have in Illinois, but emphasize that those victories were recent and could be lost again. He’ll touch on how our elders and LGBTQ ancestors struggled for decades to bring us to this point and that the work now falls to all of us to protect and defend our equality for future generations.
The Rev. Kyle Severson, Lead Pastor at St. Luke’s Lutheran Church, commented “We’re here not only to celebrate how far we’ve come, but to remember that equality isn’t something we win once and for all. It’s something we protect together. Pride in Park Ridge is a chance to honor those who paved the way and to recommit ourselves to a future where every person is safe, seen and supported.”
Entertainment at the event will begin at 5 p.m. with the Rosedale Ramblin’ Band kicking off the evening with high-energy country, classic rock and Americana (blues, rockabilly and indie) music genres. Several drag performers will take the stage at 7 p.m.
Food vendors include Bellaru Catering, Nicky C’s Red Hots, Rita’s Italian Ice, Triple Scoop’d, Pinoy Grill, Sernas Grill and Soul & Smoke. The event’s alcohol vendor Patina Wine Bar will also be serving food.
The children’s area will include face painting, balloon animals, temporary tattoos, coloring and crafts, including making friendship bracelets and wind chimes, as well as a bounce house with a slide and an obstacle course.
The logo for this year’s T-shirt was designed by Jordan Martin, a graphic design student at the Lisbon School of Design. Martin said, “A previous co-worker who lives in the area posted the content to social media, and I thought it would be good practice for my new skill set. This is my first design contest, and I am honored that my design was chosen.” Tees with the design will be sold at the event for $20.
Gold sponsors include the American Family Insurance Plageman Agency, Empowering Lactation, the Park Ridge Community Church, the Park Ridge Presbyterian Church and St. Luke’s Lutheran Church. Other sponsors are the Park Ridge Public Library and community organizations Action Ridge and Spotlight Elevate Engage.
Local business sponsors include Envision Pelvic Health & Wellness, Nelson Automotive, Park Ridge Vision, Rice Insurance and Sigmatron International. Organizations that serve LGBTQIA+ individuals Chicago Coalition of Welcoming Churches, Free Mom Hugs, The Harbour, The Juniper Center, the Kenneth Young Center, The Prideful Path Project and Youth Outlook will share information with event attendees. Student vendors include Beveridge Soaps and Elite Crafts & Bracelets; other vendors include Bella Glam Studios and GURLBRAND. The churches involved in organizing the event are First United Methodist Church of Park Ridge, Park Ridge Community Church, Park Ridge Presbyterian Church and St. Luke’s Lutheran Church.
It’s not too late for community and LGBTQIA+ organizations to register to participate. Sponsors and vendors can still sign up as well using the provided link for the form. Visit our Facebook event page for event information and @PrideinParkRidge on Instagram for additional information.
ABOUT US
Pride in Park Ridge is an annual, inclusive community-led LGBTQIA+ community-wide event for all ages. The organizers of the event include several inclusive congregations, local organizations and other volunteers. This celebration unites the Park Ridge community with many other cities around the country that celebrate Pride Month. We invite everyone in Park Ridge to celebrate the diversity, equity, and inclusion of the LGBTQIA+ folks who enrich our city. Concerned by the stigma and violence that too many in the LGBTQIA+ community face, we demonstrate solidarity and support by promoting acceptance, equality and justice for all people regardless of sexual orientation or gender identity.
Visit our Facebook event page or Instagram page, or contact Shelley O’Brien, Pride in Park Ridge Event Team Chair( obrien4101@gmail.com or 773-263-8414), for more information.
Facebook event page: https://www.facebook.com/events/505-butler-pl-park-ridge-il-60068-4173-united-states/pride-in-park-ridge-2025/1144893176871531/?locale=ne_NP
@PrideinParkRidge on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/prideinparkridge/?igsh=MTFwNXNiajRpcWlhMw%3D%3D
Sponsor/Vendor Registration Form:
