Of the hundreds who attended Pride in the Park on Friday in uptown Park Ridge, many have grown up there and say they never thought they’d see a Pride Celebration in their town.
The third annual Pride in Park Ridge Community Celebration took place from 4 p.m. to 8 p.m. June 5 at Hodges Park, a community-led LGBTQ+ celebration for all ages, organized by local congregations, community organizations and volunteers, featuring a keynote speaker at the center of Illinois’s LGBTQ+ rights movement, food trucks, children’s activities, drag performances, local vendors and information booths hosted by organizations serving the LGBTQIA+ community.
Rev. Carol Hill, Senior Minister of Park Ridge Community Church and program lead on the event, says each year the Chicago Pride Parade is epic– however, when you drive into the city from the suburbs, it can feel like that support and positive energy is unique only to the City.
“The presence and contributions of gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender, and queer folks in Park Ridge and these northwest suburbs is phenomenal– having a local celebration allows us to celebrate the beauty of living authentically and declare proudly and publicly that LGBTQ folks are vital to our community,” Hill said.
Kat Labbe of Park Ridge attended on Friday with friends.
“We feel such a welcoming vibe here in Park Ridge, it has become a place we can celebrate Pride in a space of safety and of such joy,” Labbe said.
Pride in Park Ridge began in 2024 as an effort of a few local churches trying to hold an event for young people who were asking for some public show of support for those with queer identities, a celebration which has grown exponentially since then, according to Hill.
Last week, Park Ridge Mayor Marty Maloney read a 2026 proclamation recognizing June as Pride Month in Park Ridge.
Maloney offered his remarks during Friday’s program, noting that Pride Month provides an opportunity to recognize and celebrate the many LGBTQ individuals who have helped to shape communities and further serves as a reminder of the importance of compassion, fairness, and respect for all individuals regardless of sexual orientation or gender identity.
Rae Hill and El McCarty, 14-year-old Park Ridge residents preparing to begin high school at Maine South this fall, addressed Friday’s crowd with a thank you to the Mayor and City Council for supporting the Park Ridge community as a safe place for LGBTQ people.
“Thank you for allowing us to look forward to a future filled with the possibility of love and acceptance rather than one based on fear,” Hill said.
“Everyone should feel that they belong in our schools, feel safe shopping at a grocery store, or just walking down the street– thank you and Happy Pride,” McCarty added.
Keynote speaker, Channyn Lynne Parker, chief executive officer of Equality Illinois, lent a powerful and timely voice to the celebration.
“You don’t have to be LGBTQ to understand or celebrate pride; we all know what it’s like to want to be loved, to want to be valued for who we really are, to want to be seen,” Parker said.
Parker, the first Black transgender woman to lead Equality Illinois, 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.
“Our community lives everywhere in Illinois, and so does our work, so showing up in Park Ridge says something simple and true: we belong here too,” Parker said.
According to Rev. Hill, Pride Park Ridge has found overwhelming community support and also had participation from a wide selection of local restaurants and food vendors on site during the event.
Participating organizations included Action Ridge, the Chicago Coalition of Welcoming Churches, First United Methodist Church of Park Ridge, Free Mom Hugs, The Harbour, The Juniper Center, the Park Ridge Public Library, Spotlight-Elevate-Engage and Vision for Chicago, as well as participating local businesses like Barb’s Custom Rocks, Fred Astaire Dance Studio, Gabriel’s Closet, Kriser’s Natural Pet, Mad Glam Aesthetics, Sociale Dispensary, Park Ridge Newcomers Club, student vendor Elite Crafts & Bracelets and others.
The event organizers welcomed donations and sponsorships from $1 to $3,500 and up. Advocate Health was the event’s first-ever platinum sponsor, and gold-level sponsors included 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, along with Cuzco’s Café, Empowering Women’s Health Network and Ryan-Parke Funeral Home.
Local queer author Ron Stempkowski signed copies of his book “The Luck We Carry,” a collection of personal essays about love, loss, and rebuilding after life’s unexpected turns.
Proceeds for this year’s Pride in Park Ridge will 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.
Hill said the energy is building, the support is growing, and neighbors are seeing how to love and respect one another in all the beautiful diversity that we embody.
“Eyes and hearts were opened on Friday; love and support was realized; that’s powerful, that’s the goal,” Hill said.
Gina Grillo is a freelancer for Pioneer Press.
