Pride Month may be winding down, but Chicago still has two big Pride celebrations lined up for this weekend: the Pride in the Park LGBTQ+ music and culture festival in Grant Park Saturday and Sunday, and the 52nd annual Chicago Pride Parade Sunday.
And according to an announcement from the City of Chicago's Operations of Emergency Management, large crowds and heavy traffic are expected over the weekend, primarily on Sunday.
As the clock ticks down to the weekend, here's what to know about each event.
Pride in the Park
Billed as the "Midwest's largest LGBTQ+ music festival," Pride in the Park is set to take place June 23 and 24 at Butler Field in Grant Park. But the weekend doesn't just include music.
"Much more than a music festival, Pride in the Park is designed to provide the LGBTQ+ and its allies to be a positive, immersive, and more inclusive music festival experience – with a mission of creating music, love, and community," a release from organizers said.
The two-day fest features artists, vendors and more, along with headlining performances from Grammy Award winning DJ Zedd and American rapper Saweetie among other musicians.
Local
The event is open for all ages, though children 14 and under must be with a ticket-holding adult with a limit of two children per adult. Tickets are limited and can be purchased here for as low as $70 per day or $130 for 2-Day admission.
52nd Annual Pride Parade
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Sunday marks the 52nd year of the iconic Chicago Pride Parade, which steps off at noon Sunday and marches through the city's Northalsted, Lakeview, Uptown and Lincoln Park neighborhoods.
According to organizers, the parade began as a protest march in 1970 after the Stonewall Riots in New York City and "has grown into the city's second-largest parade of nearly 200 entries, typically attracting more than 1 million people to multiple northside neighborhoods, particularly East Lakeview."
From colorful floats, to decorated vehicles, marching bands and more, here's a full list of this year's parade line-up.
Parade route and street closures
The route steps off from the corner of Broadway and Montrose before proceeding south on Broadway, south on Halsted, east on Belmont, south on Broadway, and then east on Diversey to its final destination on Cannon Drive.
Both residents and attendees should anticipate street closures and parking restrictions in the area as early as early as 5 a.m. with parade route closures beginning as early as 9:30 a.m., Chicago officials say.
The following streets will be closed for the parade:
- Montrose between Clark Street and Clarendon
- Irving Park Road between Sheridan and Clarendon
- Halsted between Irving Park Road and Belmont
- Belmont between Clark and Broadway
- Broadway between Belmont and Diversey
- Diversey between Clark and Sheridan
Pedestrians will be able to cross at the following locations:
- Montrose at Broadway
- Irving Park at Broadway
- Wellington at Broadway
- Barry at Broadway
- Addison at Halsted
- Grace at Halsted
- Aldine at Halsted
- Cornelia at Halsted
Safety
The Chicago Police Department at 2 p.m. Friday will hold a weekend safety update. The update will play in the video above once it begins.
"Although there are no known credible threats at this time, each year Chicago’s public safety departments along with parade organizers adjust the already robust security measures to ensure the safety of personnel, participants, spectators, residents, and all those in the area," OEMC officials said.
What will the weather be?
The Chicago area's dry weather could come to an end this weekend, the NBC 5 Storm Team says. And while that may be good news for the area's drought, it may mean rain and storms during the Chicago Pride Parade.
Most of Saturday is expected to remain mostly dry and hot, with temperatures in the upper 80s to low 90s. However, a band of rain is likely to move in overnight, with scattered rain showers continuing into the morning hours Sunday.
According to forecast models, there could be a break in the rain in the late morning hours into the afternoon. However, later in the afternoon, showers and storms are expected to pick back up.
According to the NBC 5 Storm Team, some storms Sunday afternoon could be on the stronger side. Temperatures however will dip slightly, with highs in the mid-80s.
After the front passes through, temperatures are expected to drop back into the 70s for the early portion of next week, with a return to dry conditions in the process.
