HONORARY Grand Marshal
MAYOR LORI LIGHTFOOT
Mayor Lightfoot's bio is well known to the public who, in record numbers, voted for her in the mayoral election. Her background and vast experience in both federal positions and local positions with previous administrations is also part of the public record. Mayor Lightfoot will be marching near the front of the parade (directly behind the front banner and color guard carried by the Scout troops) as did her predecessors, Mayor Daley and Mayor Emanuel. She is the first open lesbian mayor in the city's history.
MOLLY PINTA
Youth Grand Marshal is a 12-year-old middle school student who lobbied to have a Pride Parade in her hometown, Buffalo Grove, and came out as a lesbian to her parents, friends, teachers and world-at-large. Molly is the result and a shining example of the hard work and sacrifices made by those generations of activists who for 50 years have toiled beforeand leading up to Stonewall. Molly attended last year's Aurora Pride Parade and decided to plan for a parade in Buffalo Grove. She and her family have long been advocates for social justice in her town. Molly is also a longtime actor, singer and dancer. She has aspirations to be a teacher like her parents and to continue running their new nonprofit, The Pinta Pride Project, to keep Pride coming to Buffalo Grove every year and to support other young people in bringing their own events.
Organizational Grand Marshal
The "Indivisible" group, the Aurora Pride organizers who coordinated the first Chicago-area suburban Pride Parade in history last year, and worked hard, with community help and support, to secure their second parade this year after they initially had to cancel it due to an increase in their city fees. The second annual Aurora Pride Parade is scheduled for June 9. For more information: www.aurorapride.org .
LEGACY Grand Marshals
JIM FLINT
Community activist, best known as the owner of the Baton Show Lounge. Jim's involvement in local Democratic Party politics; on fundraising during the AIDS crisis in the 1980s; his involvement in the sports community (he was a founding member of the Windy City Athletic Association) and his many other awards and accomplishments are best spelled out in the Chicago LGBT Hall of Fame web site: www.GLHallofFame.org .
MARGE SUMMIT
Community activist, best known as the owner of the former His 'n Hers bar. Marge has contributed time, energy and resources to numerous community organizations over the years, including pre-Stonewall's Mattachine Midwest, PFLAG, produced and appeared in several educational LGBTQ+ video projects and initiated the "Gay$" project that pointed out the spending power of the LGBTQ+ communities. But she is best known as owner of the the former His 'n Hers bar that brought LGBTQ+ womyn and men and our Allies together for entertainment, good food and camaraderie. For more information: www.GLHallofFame.org .
JOEL HALL
Community activist who was founder of the Joel Hall Dancers in 1974. He has been a composer, teacher, adviser and so many other things in his life. His community involvement, list of accomplishments, creations and awards over the past 40+ years are are so long and inspiring that we refer readers to joelhall.org to see the life's work of this accomplished individual who more than deserves to be called a Legacy Grand Marshal. For more information: www.GLHallofFame.org and the more updated: www.joelhall.org .
DATE:Sunday, June 30. TIME: 12 Noon. STARTS at: Broadway & Montrose.
LINE UP: North Broadway ( both the east and the west curb lanes, from Montrose to Wilson ); West Montrose ( both the north and south curb lanes from Broadway to Clark ); Sunnyside Ave. from Broadway to North Sheridan Rd. and North Sheridan Rd., between Montrose and Wilson.
ROUTE: Step off from the Broadway/Montrose corner, proceeding south on Broadway; then south on Halsted; then east on Belmont; then south on Broadway; then east on Diversey to Cannon Drive.
CONTENT & DESCRIPTION:
The parade will feature 150 registered entries, including floats, decorated vehicles, performance groups, a marching band and walking contingents.
The entries represent community organizations, businesses, governmental officials and individual community members. Crowd estimates each year are in the hundreds of thousands. So the plans are to line the parade route with barricades on both sides of the street from beginning to the end of the parade route. Spectators will be required to remain behind the barricades. ( Only parade registrants traveling down the middle of the street, police officers, other city officials, security staff, parade marshals and credentialed media reps will be allowed in the street ). In recent years, the City of Chicago has required that several large city parades, including the Pride Parade, line their parade routes with barricades at our own expense. Police officers and parade marshals will be stationed at various points on the street in front of the barricades along the parade route.
Police officers will also be in the area surrounding the parade. In addition, PRIDEChicago ( parade coordinators ) are providing a security team to supplement the police presence along and surrounding the parade route.
$1000 Fine FOR PUBLIC ALCOHOL CONSUMPTION:
The parade will have more security and a tighter rein on public alcohol consumption. In addition to the large number of police officers who staff the event, PRIDEChicago ( parade coordinators ) are providing a security team to supplement the police presence. Penalties include, but are not limited to, $1000+ tickets being issued and/or the immediate disposal of open containers of alcohol into trash receptacles.
Public urination is also grounds to receive a ticket.
PARADE DAY HEALTH/SAFETY:
Bring plenty of bottled water, sunscreen and a hat or other head covering, and dress lightly because parade day is usually hot and sunny.
STREET CLOSURES: ( on parade day, Sunday, June 30 ) include:
ASSEMBLY AREA: Tentative time: 10:30 a.m.
PARADE ROUTE: Rolling closing times. Cross streets will close as the parade travels south down the route. The parade starts at 12 Noon at the Broadway/Montrose corner proceeding south on Broadway; then south on Halsted; then east on Belmont; then south on Broadway; then east on Diversey to Cannon Drive. For updates: www.ChicagoPrideCalendar.org .
NO PARKING: Both the Assembly Area and Parade Route ( listed above ) will be posted with temporary signs indicating "NO PARKING ON SUNDAY JUNE 30, 2019, FROM 5:00 am TO 8:00 pm. - Both sides of the street, unless otherwise indicated." Due to the volume of vehicles involved, the issuing of parking violation, citations, and towing will start at 5 a.m. promptly.
Montrose Ave. - Greenview Ave. to Hazel St.
Broadway - Leland Ave. to Grace St.
Sunnyside Ave. - Broadway to North Sheridan Rd.
Halsted St.* - Grace St. to to Belmont Ave.
Belmont Ave. - Racine Ave. to Broadway
Broadway - Melrose Ave. to Diversey Pkwy.
Diversey Pkwy. - Broadway to Cannon Dr. ( Sheridan )
Cannon Dr. - Diversey Pkwy. to Fullerton Pkwy.
Addison St. - 736 W. Addison St. to Sheffield Ave.
Waveland Ave. - Halsted St. to Broadway
Grace St. - Halsted St. to Fremont St.
Clifton - Montrose Ave. to Sunnyside Ave.
N. Sheridan Rd. - Sunnyside Ave. to Buena Ave.
Buena Ave. - Sheridan Rd. to Broadway
Wellington Ave. - Clark St. to Sheffield Ave.
N. Sheridan Rd. - Montrose Ave. to Wilson.
* Please note that parking on Halsted and Belmont will be restricted until 4 a.m. Monday, July 1
For updates and corrections: www.ChicagoPrideCalendar.org .
TOWING: Begins at 5 am. Due to the volume of vehicles involved, the issuing of parking violation citations and towing will start at 5 am - Promptly. For updates: www.ChicagoPrideCalendar.org
CROSS STREETS: Rolling closing times. Cross streets will close as the parade travels south down the route. After stepping off at Noon, the parade will take approximately two and one-half hours to finish crossing the Broadway & Montrose corner. After this time, the floats will still be winding their way to the end of the parade route at Diversey & Sheridan. This year there will NOT be a Buffer Zone on Halsted Street after the parade ends. Police will work to re-open the streets to vehicular traffic as soon as cleaning crews are finished and the streets will not remain open to foot traffic. For updates: www.ChicagoPrideCalendar.org
PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION: From the Red Line: Wilson, Sheridan, Addison or Belmont all provide access via a short walk to the parade route.
PLEASE NOTE: The Belmont station ( and the surrounding area ) tends to become the most crowded, so you are encouraged to consider watching the parade from the other parts of the route, including areas toward the start of the routesuch as Broadway, south of Montrosewhich are served by both the nearby Wilson and Sheridan stations on the Red Line. In addition, a number of lakefront bus routes including the 146 and 151 provide convenient access from the north, the Gold Coast/North Michigan Ave. and downtown to areas east of the parade route.
Extra service will be provided on the 'L' on parade day to accommodate the large numbers of people who attend the parade. Due to the increase of local traffic and a number of bus reroutes, potential parade spectators are advised to make use of the L or the various bus routes.
BUS REROUTES:
8 Halsted, 22 Clark, 36 Broadway, 76 Diversey, 77 Belmont, 78 Montrose, 151 Sheridan, 152 Addison.
Also see CTA web site or call them for updated information concerning the train and bus routes. CTA: 1-312-836-7000 www.transitchicago.com
Other information on public transportation: 1-312-322-6777 www.metrarail.com . For updates: www.ChicagoPrideCalendar.org .
PEDESTRIAN CROSS-OVER STREETS:
For updates: www.ChicagoPrideCalendar.org
There will be at least nine cross-over streets:
Montrose Ave. at Broadway
Irving Park Rd. at Broadway
Grace St. at Halsted St.
Addison St. at Halsted St.
Roscoe St. at Halsted St.
Wellington Ave. at Broadway
Aldine St. at Halsted St.
Cornelia Ave. at Halsted St.
Oakdale Ave. at Broadway
At each corner of the streets listed above there will be police officers assigned to assist pedestrians to cross the parade route. For updates: www.ChicagoPrideCalendar.org
NEEDS AND SPECIAL NEEDS:
1. Portable Restrooms - are stationed along both the parade line-up street and the parade route. Included at several locations are restrooms for the physically challenged.
2. Physically Challenged Area/Wheel chair Accessible Area/Seniors - for people who need or want more space: the sidewalks of W. Diversey Pkwy. ( near 600 W. Diversey ). Traditionally this area of the parade route has fewer spectators than other sections of the parade route. Spectators in these areas generally arrive there early on parade morning to secure their viewing spots. Included there are restrooms for the physically challenged.
3. Seniors ( outdoor ) - The area mentioned above in #2 ( 600 W. Diversey sidewalks ) is a designated OUTDOOR area for seniors. Spectators in this area generally arrive there early on parade morning to secure their viewing spots. Included there are restrooms for the physically challenged.
4. Cooling Busses:
Halsted, south of Belmont; Addison, west of Halsted; Belmont, east of Broadway; Wilton, north of Belmont
5. Chicago Fire Department First Aid Stations: For updates: www.ChicagoPrideCalendar.org
901 W. Addison St.; 765 W. Roscoe St.; 3165 N. Halsted St.; 561 W. Surf St.: 802 W. Roscoe St.
For changes or updates after this publication went to press:
www.ChicagoPrideCalendar.org .
PrideChgo@aol.com 773-348-8243.