Chicago prepares for Pride in the Park, parade weekend festivities
CHICAGO (WLS) -- Pride has taken over Chicago with the preparations underway from the North Side all the way down to Grant Park.
Police are getting ready to shut down streets and restaurants are bracing for the weekend rush.
A wave of excitement already taking over the neighborhood.
The anticipation for this weekend is a little higher than usual with the parade returning for the first time since 2019.
"So excited. It's actually my first pride ever. I've never been to a pride parade. I've never fully experienced what pride is like in a large city," said Edis Basic.
More than a million people are expected to attend the weekend festivities with a mix of first-timers and people who have seen this annual event for decades now.
"It's a fun place, frankly, and people are having a good time, not mean spirited, not nasty and I think everyone has a good pleasant time watching the pleasant parade," said Carl Plickner.
The weekend events kick off Saturday in Grant Park with The Chainsmokers headlining a slate of live music.
Come Sunday, the North Side will be filled with people as the parade begins near Montrose Avenue in Uptown before making its way up to Diversey Avenue.
Pride supporters say all of these events create the perfect atmosphere for people to express themselves.
"It's just a whole month to celebrate who we are, how far we've come, and there's so much to be done within the community and so much we can strive forward to," Basic said.
The live music will go on all weekend at Grant Park, with a number of performers and bands performing through Sunday evening.
The 51st annual Chicago Pride Parade will step off at Montrose and Broadway on Sunday, June 26. You can watch it live on ABC7 or wherever you stream from 12 p.m. to 2 p.m.
