The third annual Pride in Park Ridge Community Celebration will be from 4 p.m. to 8 p.m. on June 5 at Hodges Park in Uptown Park Ridge.
According to a news release, this year’s event features a keynote speaker whose work is at the center of Illinois’s LGBTQ+ rights movement. Channyn Lynne Parker, chief executive officer of Equality Illinois, will speak after Mayor Marty Maloney delivers a proclamation recognizing June as Pride Month in Park Ridge.
Parker is a nationally recognized human rights advocate with more than two decades of experience advancing LGBTQ+ justice, racial equity, and community-based solutions across Illinois, the release said. As the first Black transgender woman to lead Equality Illinois — the state’s oldest and largest LGBTQ+ civil rights organization — Parker brings a powerful and timely voice to Park Ridge’s celebration of Pride Month.
“Pride in Park Ridge matters because visibility is not only for the city. Our community lives everywhere in Illinois, and so does our work. Showing up in Park Ridge says something simple and true,” Channyn Lynne Parker, chief executive officer, Equality Illinois, said in the release. “We belong here, too. I am honored to stand with this community and to celebrate the people who made this day possible.”
According to the release, 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.
• 5–8 p.m. — Photo booth with pride and party props — take home a photo strip with the Pride in Park Ridge logo and upload pictures to social media, text and email.
• 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: The 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 Channyn Lynne Parker, chief executive officer of Equality Illinois.
• 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 percent of performance proceeds to LGBTQ+ community organizations. Kiki Queens and supporters have raised more than $200,000 for local nonprofits.
• DJ Gloria entertainment plays throughout when no live performances are scheduled.
A wide selection of local restaurants and food vendors will be on site, according to the release. Food trucks Americanos, Pinoy Grill, Sernas Grill, Soul & Smoke, and Sweet Ride will be joined by Chiquita Scoops, Cuzco’s Café, Nicky C’s Red Hots, Mad Glam Sourdough, Rita’s Italian Ice, and Triple Scoop’d. Patina Wine Bar & Bistro and October Café will serve food and drinks, and Beer on the Wall and Illuminated Brew Works will offer beer.
With handmade goods to one-of-a-kind keepsakes, this year’s celebration is packed with ways to shop, support, and commemorate the occasion, according to the release. Designers competed to create the 2026 T-shirt design, and tees featuring the winning graphic will be available for purchase.
Organizations with tables at the event include Action Ridge, the Chicago Coalition of Welcoming Churches, First United Methodist Church of Park Ridge, Free Mom Hugs, and The Harbour, the release said. The Juniper Center, the Park Ridge Public Library, Spotlight-Elevate-Engage, and Vision for Chicago will also be there.
Local businesses participating are Barb’s Custom Rocks, Fred Astaire Dance Studio, Gabriel’s Closet, Kriser’s Natural Pet, Mad Glam Aesthetics, Sociale Dispensary, Park Ridge Newcomers Club, and student vendor Elite Crafts & Bracelets.
The event raffle will feature a hand-crafted quilt, rainbow jewelry, clothing, original artwork, and tumblers. There will also be gift baskets filled with donations from local businesses, including Beer on the Wall, Devon Avenue Meats, Easy Street, Fred Astaire Dance Studio, Harp & Fiddle, Hay Caramba, Indira Spa, Lynnette’s School of Dance, Salon Revolution Edison Park, and School of Rock.
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, the release said..
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.
According to the release, Advocate Health is the event’s first-ever platinum sponsor and will have a table at the event. Gold-level sponsors include the churches involved in organizing the event: First United Methodist Church of Park Ridge, Park Ridge Community Church, Park Ridge Presbyterian Church, and St. Luke’s Lutheran Church. Additional gold-level sponsors are Cuzco’s Café, Empowering Women’s Health Network and Ryan-Parke Funeral Home.
Action Ridge, Gabriel’s Closet, Hay Caramba, Kriser’s Natural Pet, Nelson Automotive, Rice Insurance Agency, Sociale Dispensary and Spotlight-Elevate-Engage are silver-level sponsors. Visit PrideInParkRidge.org to view the Bronze and Friend Sponsors.
The event organizers welcome donations and sponsorships, which are available in tiers from $1 to $3,500+. Visit PrideInParkRidge.org for more information.
