Pride In Park Ridge

THIRD ANNUAL PRIDE IN PARK RIDGE COMMUNITY CELEBRATION
Mayor Maloney to Speak at 6:30 p.m.

Park Ridge, Illinois — The third annual Pride in Park Ridge Community Celebration will take place Friday, June 5, 2026, from 4-8 p.m. at Hodges Park in Uptown Park Ridge.

This all-ages, community-led LGBTQ+ celebration — organized by local congregations, community organizations and volunteers — features food trucks, children's activities, drag performances, local vendors and information booths. Groups serving LGBTQ+ individuals will share details about their programs and support networks.

Rev. Josh Erickson, Senior Pastor of Park Ridge Presbyterian Church, commented, “Pride in Park Ridge is a powerful reminder that everyone is loved and everyone belongs. We want to be clear — no one should ever have to question their worth or wonder if they have a place in this world.”

The event opens with family-friendly activities and builds to evening presentations and entertainment:

• 4-6 p.m. — Kids Zone: Face painting and balloon art by Hardy Party, an inflatable obstacle course, an inflatable slide and do-it-yourself art stations, including friendship bracelet making.
• 6 p.m. — Line dancing: Firebrand queer/ LGBTQ+ country and western dancers get the crowd moving ahead of evening presentations.
• 6:30 p.m. — Welcome and proclamation: Rev. Carol Hill, senior minister at Park Ridge Community Church, will offer a welcome. Mayor Marty Maloney will then deliver a proclamation recognizing June as Pride Month in Park Ridge. The final speaker will be a leader from the local LGBTQ+ community.
• 7 p.m. — Kiki Queens live-singing performance: The evening closes with the local drag cabaret troupe, a registered 501(c)(3) nonprofit that donates 100% of performance proceeds to LGBTQ+ community organizations. Kiki Queens and supporters have raised more than $200,000 for local nonprofits.
• DJ entertainment plays throughout when no live performances are scheduled.
  
  

Local favorites will be serving up tasty food and drinks. Pinoy Grill, Sernas Grill and Soul & Smoke will fire up their grills, while Americanos, Nicky C's Red Hots, October Café, Rita's Italian Ice and Triple Scoop'd will also serve food. Patina Wine Bar will round out the offerings with food and drinks.

From handmade goods to one-of-a-kind keepsakes, this year's celebration is packed with ways to shop, support and commemorate the occasion. Graphic designers competed to create the 2026 T-shirt design, and tees featuring the winning logo will be available for purchase. Student vendors include Beveridge Soaps and Elite Crafts & Bracelets.

The event raffle will feature a hand-crafted quilt, rainbow jewelry, clothing, original artwork, tumblers with gift cards and gift baskets filled with donations from local businesses. Proceeds benefit the Transformative Justice Law Project of Illinois (TJLP), which provides free, holistic legal services and advocacy for low-income and street-based transgender people across the state.

Local queer author Ron Stempkowski will sign and sell copies of his book "The Luck We Carry," a collection of personal essays about love, loss and rebuilding after life's unexpected turns. He wrote the book to honor a promise he made to his late husband, Ken. These honest, tender and sometimes funny essays offer companionship for anyone who has loved deeply and lost painfully.

Prideinparkridge.org