Aurora Highlands opens new area for Aurora Pride, expecting 5,000 attendees

It may not be June, but Aurora is celebrating our LGBTQ+ community this weekend. Aurora Pride celebrates the life and legacy of the queer community. Aurora Pride will also celebrate Latino Pride. 

Aurora Pride is being celebrated at Winged Melody Park in the Aurora Highlands this year. In years past, it was celebrated at the Aurora Reservoir and Fletcher Plaza. The Aurora Highlands CEO says that's due to the size of Aurora Pride, these areas were not available this year.

This opens doors in Aurora Highlands for Pride to provide drag performers, musicians, 60 vendors, and nine food trucks. It is going to be hot, so free water stations will be provided throughout the park. This is a kid-friendly event so they can enjoy a carousel and playground. 

Aurora Highlands say it takes about a year to prepare for Pride to make everything feel perfect, comfortable, and safe. 

"Pride is a protest," Carla Ferreira, CEO of Aurora Highlands. "Pride is our ability to prove that we belong, we should be here, and that everybody deserves to be loved however they want to be loved. It's a way to express yourself."

Aurora Pride will go on Aug. 29 from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. This is free for all ages. There are 450 regular parking spots and 1,000 extra spots near E-470. It is recommended to use Uber, Lyft, rideshare, or carpool. 

The Aurora Highlands is not making any money from Aurora Pride. They wanted to provide a location and safe space for pride to happen.

Security will be present for safety. There will be fenced areas so alcohol cannot be taken out of the park. 

Find more information about Aurora Pride online.