Wheaton-Area Events To Show LGBTQ+ Support During Pride Month

WHEATON, IL — Rainbow flags, live music, family activities and community booths will return to Wheaton this June as part of a Pride Month season unfolding against a backdrop of sharp political debate across the country.

Dancing Queen will play ABBA tribute music at Ross Ferraro Town Center for the Carol Stream Pride Concert on June 18. Access to the venue and food trucks begins at 6 p.m. and the concert starts at 7 p.m.

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Pride Month is celebrated each June to commemorate the 1969 Stonewall Uprising in New York City, widely viewed as a turning point in the modern LGBTQ+ rights movement, according to the Library of Congress. What began as a day of remembrance and protest has grown into a month of parades, festivals, concerts, workshops and community gatherings across the country.

Here other ways to show support for LGBTQ+ neighbors in and around Wheaton:

After Hours Pride Party at Downers Grove Public Library

On June 12, the Downers Grove Public Library will host a pride party for students grades six through 12. Billed as a "celebration of queer joy," the event features food and music, along with arts and crafts.

Downers Grove PrideFest

EQuality Downers Grove will host DG PrideFest on June 6 from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. at Fishel Park, 935 Maple Ave. The festivities include food trucks, a tie-dye station, live music and a parade for residents and their pets.

Lombard Pride Fest

The Church of Lombard UCC will host the 5th Annual Lombard Pride Fest on June 7 from 12 p.m. to 3 p.m. Visitors can grab snacks from food trucks, dance to live music and browse goods from local vendors. Therapy dogs, games and prizes are also planned for the festival.

Pride events are being held around the country in June. Some of the major festivals include:

• Boston Pride for the People on June 6 featuring a parade, festival and related events.
• Philly Pride 365 “Pride is Power” March & Festival on June 7 in Philadelphia, featuring a march and festival.
• The 56th annual LA Pride Parade on June 14 in Los Angeles, starting on Hollywood Boulevard at 11 a.m.
• Capital Pride from June 12-21 in Washington, D.C., an annual celebration that ends with the Pride Parade and Festival weekend.
• Chicago Pride Fest on June 20-21 and the Chicago Pride Parade on June 28.
• The 56th Annual San Francisco Pride Parade and Celebration on June 27–28.

Are you planning an event this spring or summer? Feature it so nearby readers see it all across Patch — including in roundups like this!