Chicago Pride Parade draws crowds amid concerns about building heat
Hundreds of thousands of people lined Halsted Street, Belmont Avenue, Broadway, and Diversey Parkway on Sunday for the 55th annual Chicago Pride Parade.
As has been the case for the last few years, the parade stepped off at the intersection of Grace and Halsted streets and Broadway in the Northalsted District at 11 a.m. Sunday and continued through the early afternoon.
Chicago Pride Parade: Route, map, street closures
As the parade made its way south and east through Chicago's vibrant and historic LGBTQ+ community, temperatures were already climbing to 80 degrees with feels-like temperatures in the 90s.
"It's going to be a hot one on Sunday, and we want people to pace themselves," said Ald. Bennett Lawson (44th). "Drink water, get some AC, get some shade, because it's a long day.:
While the extreme heat won't reach its most serious point until Monday, with the National Weather Service having issued an Extreme Heat Watch for Cook County from Monday through Wednesday, parade organizers made preparations for health and safety — especially when it comes to heat.
Six cooling buses were set up throughout the two-mile parade route if people need to cool off. The event also had medical areas for anyone suffering from a health emergency or in need of medical attention.
Those medical areas were located at:
- Addison Street east of Halsted Street
- Roscoe Street east of Halsted Street
- Aldine Avenue east of Halsted Street
- Surf Street west of Broadway.
This year's theme was "Free to Be Proud," which organizers said honors "those who paved the way while affirming our ongoing commitment to ensuring every person can live openly, authentically, and with dignity."
Everyone and everything decked out in rainbow to show their support, love and acceptance for the city's LGBTQ+ community.
"We were up ready and early, I've been readying for this, girl. January, I've been thinking about this day – here we go!" said attendee Marc Kassing.
Kassing and his group said this was their first time at the parade and they were beyond excited to see the festivities from drag queens out walking and vogueing to the confetti to the freebies.
One young woman said she has been going to the Pride Parade since she was a youngster, but this was her first time going with friends rather than her parents. Her friends were attending for the first time.
"I feel like the community in Chicago is just like so special and so unique… the culture is just so supportive, and it's like the same with like the Cubs and stuff," she said. "It's just like when everyone's together… I don't know, I go to school in Los Angeles, and If eel like the community here is way different than the community out there, because it's so close together."
Attending the parade was part of a personal journey for some.
"I'm still in the process of coming out to people, so this is kind of big for me," another spectator said. "This is a lot to take in. There's a lot of accepting people here, and I'm with my friends who are really accepting."
"I only came out a few years ago, but when I did I saw a lot of love and acceptance and I just really wanted to be part of that," said attendee Lily Gilbert.
"I am still in the process of coming out to people, so this is like kind of big for me ... this is a lot to take in," Sam Welco.
A total of 155 groups and floats took part in the parade, as the organizers say everyone comes together in celebration, solidarity and visibility.
The Chicago Fire Department says they responded to 39 calls for service, and there were 16 people taken to the hospital. They had no further information about why they were taken there.
