Pride Parade
For over 50 years, the iconic Chicago Pride Parade has been the treasured centerpiece of the city’s month-long Pride celebrations, bringing vibrant energy and joyous festivities to the Lakeview and Lincoln Park neighborhoods on the last Sunday of June each year.
What began as a modest gathering has blossomed into one of the largest Pride parades in the United States and one of the world’s largest neighborhood parades. Since 1974, the event has been organized by PRIDEChicago, a dedicated all-volunteer nonprofit committed to creating a spectacular celebration of LGBTQ+ identity and community.
More than just a parade, the event symbolizes a celebration of love, an embrace of unity, and a moment to reflect on the progress made in the fight for LGBTQ+ rights. It continues to inspire millions to stand together in pride, solidarity, and hope for a more inclusive future.
Quick Tips
Bring plenty of bottled water, sunscreen and a hat or other head covering, and dress lightly because parade day is usually hot and sunny.
The area along N. Halsted fills in quickly, so arrive early. If you would like to avoid the crowds, it’s typically more open along Broadway, south of Belmont.
Do not drive, parking is basically non existent with street closures, and traffic will be congested. The CTA is best way to get around.
Frequently Asked Questions
The annual Chicago Pride Parade takes place the last Sunday in June at 11 a.m.
The Chicago Pride Parade steps off at 11 a.m. from Sheridan and Broadway, continues south along Broadway, then Halsted, east along Belmont to Broadway, then south to Diversey. (See Map Below)
The Chicago Pride Parade features 150 registered entries. You’ll see celebratory floats, festively-outfitted vehicles, a variety of performance groups, a marching band, and many revelers on foot.
Parade participants represent community organizations, businesses, governmental officials and individual community members, all gathered to commemorate the history and celebrate the legacy of the fight for LGBTQ rights.
The busiest section for parade viewing is along the Northalsted entertainment corridor (Halsted between Belmont and Addison). Arrive early if you want a spot up close.
The section along Broadway from Belmont to Oakdale is a great place to settle in with your friends and watch the parade.
Belmont between Halsted and Broadway is another less-crowded area.
The corner of Sheridan and Broadway will be closed for staging. Parade viewing begins at Grace and Broadway.
The area along Diversey (near Clark) is one of the lessor populated areas of the parade route. Arrive early to secure the best spot.
The accessible viewing area and accessible portable restrooms are located near 600 W. Diversey.
There will be portable restrooms located all along the parade route. Accessible restrooms will be set up on the sidewalks around 600 W. Diversey.
Medical Areas
- Addison east of Halsted
- Roscoe east of Halsted
- Aldine east of Halsted
- Surf west of Broadway
Cooling buses, if needed, will be available at the following locations:
- Addison west of Halsted
- Roscoe west of Halsted
- Belmont east of Broadway
- Wilton north of Belmont
- Waveland between Broadway and Halsted
- Belmont westbound between Halsted and Clark
Spectator Crossover Locations
- Addison & Halsted
- Cornelia & Halsted
- Buckingham & Halsted
- Briar & Broadway
- Wellington & Broadway
Parade day is usually hot and sunny so be prepared. Wear sunscreen and bring more to reapply if necessary.
Bring plenty of water and snacks you can eat while walking, such as granola or energy bars.
You might want a hat or other head covering, as the best parade-viewing spots are not in the shade.
Remember your wallet with ID and cash for emergency purchases.
And, don’t forget to fully charge your phone for both communication and taking photos and selfies.
Whatever you want! You’ll see people in costume, decked out in rainbows, covered in glitter, and showing plenty of skin. Just keep in mind the sun and heat, and don’t forget sunscreen.
Open alcohol containers are prohibited. Police and additional security teams will be enforcing this policy and fines can be up to $1000 dollars or more.
Participation in the Chicago Pride Parade is by application only.
The registration process typically begins in March each year. Sign-up for our email list to receive updates.
You can help make the annual Chicago Pride Parade a success.
Sign-up on our volunteers page.
For more information regarding sponsorship opportunities, please visit our sponsors page.
For more information regarding sponsorship opportunities, please visit our sponsors page.
There are a number of parking restriction, please observe all temporary parking signs.
No Parking 2 a.m. until 10 p.m. on Sunday, June 30, 2024
- Broadway from Irving Park to Waveland
- Halsted from Sheridan to Waveland
- Broadway from Melrose to Diversey
- Diversey Broadway to Cannon
- Waveland from Halsted to Broadway
- Racine from Wellington to Belmont
- Grace from Pine Grove to Fremont
- Wilton from Belmont to 3245 N Wilton (West Side Only)
- Cuyler from Clarendon to Broadway (South Side Only)
- Sheridan from Sheffield to Inner LSD
- Clarendon from Broadway to Bittersweet
- Clarendon from Bittersweet to Buena (West Side Only)
- Fremont from Irving Park to Sheridan
No Parking from 2 a.m. to 11 p.m. on Sunday, June 30, 2024
- Lake Shore Dr. West from Cannon to Diversey
- Cannon from Diversey to Fullerton
- Diversey from Sheridan to Lakeshore Dr.
No Parking 2 a.m. Sunday, June 30 to 7 a.m. Monday, July 1, 2024
- Halsted from Waveland to Wellington
- Belmont from Broadway to Racine
- Sheffield from School to Wellington
- Clark from Roscoe to Halsted
- Wellington from Sheffield to Halsted
- Addison from Broadway to Sheffield
- Aldine from Clark to East alley of Halsted (720-759 W Aldine)
Street parking is limited and the area will be very crowded. If you drive, consider car-pooling, and be prepared to park far away and walk to the parade route.
Public transportation offers many options. The following CTA train stops are on or near the parade route:
- Red line: Wilson (1 mile north of the parade’s start point, if inclined you can walk back south and avoid the crowded stops), Sheridan (not fully ADA accessible), Addison, Belmont (the most crowded stop)
- Brown line: Belmont (the most crowded stop), Wellington, Diversey (near the parade’s end point)
CTA buses may be re-routed on parade day. Visit transitchicago.com for route-planning tools and route updates.
Ride-share apps like Uber or Lyft may be an option, though keep in mind street traffic will likely be congested. Pick a drop-off location several blocks from the parade route and walk over to the parade route.
Parking is limited, and street closures will make driving right up to the route very difficult.
Public transportion is highly recommended. Visit transitchicago.com for route-planning tools and route updates.
The Parade is a free public event, open to all. No tickets needed!
Some might! But keep in mind that participants are not allowed to throw things out to the crowd. Likewise, spectators should never throw items at the parade participants.
There will be barriers set up along the route separating the spectator area from the street. Spectators should never run into the street to retrieve goodies. If parade participants are handing out items, they will walk over to the spectator area to do so.
Some people do. But keep in mind that the parade route is crowded, noisy, and full of colorful and glittery distractions. If you have a nervous pup, probably best to leave them safe at home.
Pets are not allowed in the parade.
The City of Chicago through OEMC issues alerts and notifications needed to keep residents and attendees up to date on weather conditions and emergencies.
- Sign up for NotifyChicago alerts at NotifyChicago.org
- CHILAKE: For lakefront notices, TEXT “CHILAKE” to 7-8-0-1-5
- CHIBIZ: For alerts affecting businesses, TEXT “CHIBIZ” to 6-7-2-8-3
Accessibility
PRIDEChicago is committed to making the annual parade accessible for everyone, including seniors and those with limited mobility. There is a designated viewing area for wheelchair and mobility device accessibility near 600 W. Diversey (Diversey and Clark). This is where the accessible portable restrooms are set-up. Arrive early to secure the best spot.
Parade Route
The Chicago Pride Parade steps off from Sheridan and Broadway in the landmark LGBTQ+ neighborhood of Northalsted at 11 a.m. and will then travel the 2-mile parade route south on Broadway; then south on Halsted; then east on Belmont; then south on Broadway; then east on Diversey to Cannon Drive.
Parade Facts
When Chicago Gay Liberation organized its first-ever march on Saturday, June 27, 1970, about 150 people marched from Washington Square Park, known as “Bughouse Square,” to the Daley Center, known as the Civic Center.
In 1977, attendance jumped from a few hundred to several thousand. The catalyst was a protest again Anita Bryant, an anti-gay activist, singer, and spokeswoman for the Florida Citrus Commission.
More and more people participated and watched as the years went on.
After attendance swelled in 2010 and 2011, with some estimating that 750,000 spectators flooded into the Northalsted neighborhood (commonly referred to as “Boystown”), the 2012 parade took a new, extended route designed for more accessibility. (It’s the same route used today.)
By 2015, the year the U.S. Supreme Court declared marriage equality throughout the country, an estimated 1 million people watched the Chicago Pride Parade proudly march down North Halsted Street in America’s first gay neighborhood.
The crowd estimates (provided by the City of Chicago) have remained at 1,000,000 since 2015.
The Gay and Lesbian Pride Parade continued to grow in the ’70s and ’80s, promoting visibility for the LGBTQ+ community and eventually gaining the support of many local politicians and businesses.
Today, one of the largest contingencies in the Chicago Pride Parade is the Chicago Council of Welcoming Churches.
Over 95% of the corporate entries in the parade are represented by the company’s LGBTQ+ Business Resource Group or Employee Resource Group.
All of Chicago’s major sports teams have appeared in the parade, including the Chicago Blackhawks, Chicago Cubs, Chicago Fire, Chicago Bulls, and Chicago White Sox.
In 2010, the Stanley Cup became the first major professional sports trophy ever to ride in a pride parade. Then-Blackhawks defenseman Brent Sopel brought the cup onto the Chicago Gay Hockey Association’s float as an honor to Brendan Burke, the late son of Toronto Maple Leafs general manager Brian Burke, who died in a car accident earlier that year two months after coming out.
PRIDEChicago has hosted numerous grand marshals from the world of sports, music, film, and TV.
Some of the grand marshals include: John Amaechi (2007), Eric Alva (2008), Billy Bean (2003), Alexandra Billings (2009), Orlando Cruz (2018), Wilson Cruz (2005), Lea Delaria (2017), Wade Davis (2013), Ty Herndon (2015), Greg Louganis (1999), Chuck Panozzo (2002), Monica Raymund (2016), Fernanda Rocha (2011), Will Sheridan (2014), George Takei (2006), Esera Tuaolo (2004), Evan Wolfson (2012), Chely Wright (2010), and many others.
“The richness of our communities, our cities, and our nation lies in recognizing and celebrating our diversity. That diversity is not only in our various ethnicity and cultures, but also in the diversity of our sexual orientations. We all contribute, each in our own way, to the strength, vitality, and the well being of our society,” Takei told GoPride.com prior to the parade.
In 2019, PRIDEChicago announced changes to the grand marshal selection. For the first time there was an Honorary Grand Marshal, plus a Youth Grand Marshal, several Legacy Grand Marshals and an Organizational Grand Marshal.
Chicago has long been a hub of LGBTQ+ life and culture and advocacy for equal rights.
Chicago Mayor Jane Byrne, the first woman elected mayor in Chicago, proclaimed the first Gay Pride Parade Day in the city in 1981.
After losing re-election, Byrne marched in the 1984 Chicago Pride Parade as a thank-you to the gay community for their support. Until then, only two local politicians had marched in the parade. Following Byrne, more and more elected officials began contacting PRIDEChicago to register, starting a political tradition that continues today.
In 1989, Richard M. Daley became the first sitting Chicago mayor to participate in the parade.
“I think it is important for me to take part in this parade to show my support of the gay community, which I believe has contributed to a better quality of life in this city,” Daley told the Chicago Sun-Times.
In 1997, Daley officially designated the section of North Halsted from Grace Street to Belmont as the first official gay neighborhood in the U.S.
The Chicago Pride Parade proudly marches down North Halsted Street to this day.
Chicago hosted the first Gay Pride Parade in the United States on Saturday, June 27, 1970.
And ever since, the social character of Chicago has been significantly shaped by the parade, which highlights the city’s openness and inclusivity.
Through the years the parade has addressed such issues as the HIV/AIDS crisis, same-sex marriage, transgender rights, homelessness among LGBTQ+ youth, and inequality.
In the early 1980s, the HIV/AIDS pandemic was beginning to emerge, and it had a significant impact on the gay community. The parade provided an invaluable venue for education and activism.
Today, with over a million in attendance each year, the parade boosts the local economy and continues to have a social impact, establishing Chicago as a city that values and celebrates diversity.
Learn about more of Chicago’s LGBTQ+ history in WTTW’s documentary Out & Proud in Chicago, narrated by Jane Lynch.
2024 Parade
Pride in Chicago
Chicago knows how to Celebrate LGBTQ+ Pride!
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