Indy Pride Festival

Last updated
Indy Pride Festival
Cherpride.jpg
Main Stage, 2007
Genre LGBTQ, pride parade
Location(s) Indianapolis, Indiana
Attendance95,000
Organised by Indy Pride, Inc.

Indy Pride Festival (formerly Circle City IN Pride) is the annual week of LGBT pride events in Indianapolis. The week is organized by LGBTQ organization Indy Pride, Inc., and has been held under this name and organization for over a decade. In recent years, more than 95,000 gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender and heterosexual people have attended the festival. [1] Indy Pride's Parade and Festival is held the 2nd Saturday in June, with a week of events leading up to it, in honor of the Stonewall Riots and in accordance with other United States pride festivals. Indy Pride Festival is the largest LGBT pride event in Indiana. [2]

Contents

According to former Indy Pride President, Gary Brackett, "The festival and events are to celebrate gay pride and bring the community together. We're trying to bring visibility to the greater Indianapolis community of how many gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender people there are here." [3]

Background

The first known Pride week in Indianapolis was celebrated in 1976 with the support of Metropolitan Community Church and Gay Peoples Union. [4] However, the first Indy Pride, Inc., sponsored event began in 1996 as a week-long celebration of events. Jeffrey Cleary and Bill McKinley served as Co-Chairs for the city's first ever pride week. [5] The celebration held 10 events in seven days, culminating with a pride fair on the downtown Indy Canal. [6] In 2011, the festival broke records by attracting a record estimate 70,000 attendees. [1] In 2012, the week of events opened with the new "Rainbow 5k Run/Walk". [7] The festival saw the addition of a 2nd stage, as well as an expansion in family-friendly entertainment. [8] Attendance grew every year in the following decade until 2020 and 2021 when the event was not held in person due to the COVID-19 pandemic. [9]

Anti-Pride protests and opposition

In a 2016 interview, Gary Brackett acknowledged that a few protestors oppose the event every year. According to Brackett, both the crowd and the anti-Pride protestors have received police protection. [10]

Festival

Live entertainment during the 2009 festival Indy Pride, Indianapolis, Indiana.jpg
Live entertainment during the 2009 festival

The festival includes several attractions for the LGBT community and allies, to browse and watch. Local LGBTQ groups and supportive businesses sponsor booths catering to the community as a whole, as well as special interest groups. Surrounding the park, food vendors and other businesses also set up displays to show support and to market to the community. The main stage overlooks the event and serves as a centerpiece for the festival. National and local talents provide performances from the stage. Performances have included the Pride of Indy Band, singers, national recording artists, drag performances, DJs, and speeches.

Performances have ranged from pure entertainment, such as RuPaul who performed at the close of the festival in 2006 and Kat DeLuna who performed in 2009, to informational speeches, such as from Candace Gingrich, who in 2007, gave a speech for the Human Rights Campaign on same-sex marriage issues. [3] [11] [12] In 2012, the festival added a 2nd stage dedicated to DJs and dance music, as well as an area designated for family friendly entertainment. [8]

Parade

The inaugural Indy Pride Parade (formerly known as the Cadillac Barbie Pride Parade) occurred on Saturday, June 14, 2003, in the Mass Ave Cultural Arts District. The parade route extended southwest on Massachusetts Avenue from its intersection with St. Clair Street and College Avenue to Vermont Street, terminating at University Park in downtown Indianapolis. [13] The first parade was small with only eight participants and lasted 15 minutes. It has since grown into a 2-hour-plus-long event. [3] By 2009, the parade had grown to include more than 100 floats and participants. [14]

The parade was suspended in 2020 and 2021 due to the COVID-19 pandemic in Indiana. [15]

Grand marshals

Attendance

Total estimated annual attendance of the parade and festival.

YearLocation(s)Attendance
20022,000 [11]
2003
2004
200525,000 [11]
2006 University Park; Garfield Park [11] 25,000 [3]
2007University Park30,000 [26]
2008University Park35,000 [26]
2009University Park [27] [12] 45,000 [28]
2010 American Legion Mall 55,000 [14]
2011American Legion Mall; Veterans Memorial Plaza 70,000 [1]
2012American Legion Mall; Veterans Memorial Plaza80,000 [29]
2013American Legion Mall; Veterans Memorial Plaza85,000 [30]
2014American Legion Mall; Veterans Memorial Plaza95,000 [31]
2015American Legion Mall; Veterans Memorial Plaza106,000 [32]
2016American Legion Mall; Veterans Memorial Plaza110,000 [33]
2017 Military Park [33]
2018Military Park [34]
2019Military Park [35]
2020held virtually due to COVID-19 pandemic 40,000 [9]
2021held virtually due to COVID-19 pandemic [9]
2022Military Park [15] 100,000 [36]
2023Military Park [36] 32,00035,000 [37] [38]
2024Military Park [39]

See also

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References

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