Indy Pride Festival Explained

Indy Pride Festival
Genre:LGBT, pride parade
Location:Indianapolis, Indiana
Founders:-->
Attendance:95,000
Organised:Indy Pride, Inc.
Or Sponsors:-->

Indy Pride Festival (formerly Circle City IN Pride) is the annual week of LGBT pride events in Indianapolis. The week is organized by LGBT 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]

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."

Background

The first known Pride week in Indianapolis was celebrated in 1976 with the support of Metropolitan Community Church and Gay Peoples Union.[3] 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.[4] The celebration held 10 events in seven days, culminating with a pride fair on the downtown Indy Canal.[5] In 2011, the festival broke records by attracting a record estimate 70,000 attendees. In 2012, the week of events opened with the new "Rainbow 5k Run/Walk".[6] The festival saw the addition of a 2nd stage, as well as an expansion in family-friendly entertainment.[7] 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.

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.[8]

Festival

The festival includes several attractions for the LGBT community and allies, to browse and watch. Local LGBT 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. In 2012, the festival added a 2nd stage dedicated to DJs and dance music, as well as an area designated for family friendly entertainment.

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.[9] The first parade was small with only eight participants and lasted 15 minutes. It has since grown into a 2-hour-plus-long event. By 2009, the parade had grown to include more than 100 floats and participants.[10]

The parade was suspended in 2020 and 2021 due to the COVID-19 pandemic in Indiana.[11]

Grand marshals

Attendance

Total estimated annual attendance of the parade and festival.

Year Location(s) Attendance
20022,000[22]
2003
2004
200525,000
2006University Park
Garfield Park
25,000[23]
2007University Park30,000
2008University Park35,000[24]
2009University Park[25] [26] 45,000[27]
2010American Legion Mall55,000
2011American Legion Mall; Veterans Memorial Plaza70,000
2012American Legion Mall; Veterans Memorial Plaza80,000[28]
2013American Legion Mall; Veterans Memorial Plaza85,000[29]
2014American Legion Mall; Veterans Memorial Plaza95,000[30]
2015American Legion Mall; Veterans Memorial Plaza106,000[31]
2016American Legion Mall; Veterans Memorial Plaza110,000[32]
2017Military Park
2018Military Park[33]
2019Military Park[34]
2020held virtually due to COVID-19 pandemic40,000[35]
2021held virtually due to COVID-19 pandemic
2022Military Park100,000[36]
2023Military Park32,00035,000[37] [38]
2024Military Park[39]

See also

External links

Notes and References

  1. News: Smith . Erika D. . 2011-06-12 . Gay pride festival goes mainstream this year . Indianapolis Star . 2013-12-04 . https://web.archive.org/web/20110615064938/http://www.indystar.com/article/20110612/LOCAL/106120351/Erika-D-Smith-Pride-festival-goes-mainstream-year . June 15, 2011.
  2. Web site: 2018-05-15 . Indy Pride: Don't Miss Indiana's Largest Celebration of Acceptance & Equality . 2022-06-21 . www.visitindiana.com . en-us.
  3. Web site: Poletika . Nicole . 2021-10-05 . From "Gay Knights" to Celebration on the Circle: A History of Pride in Indianapolis . 2022-06-22 . The Indiana History Blog . en-US.
  4. Lee, M. A Visual Journey: From AIDS to Marriage Equality. Indiana Historical Society. https://indianahistory.org/wp-content/uploads/Proof_Edits_4-1.pdf, p. 11 archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220402003427/https://indianahistory.org/wp-content/uploads/Proof_Edits_4-1.pdf archive-date=April 2, 2022
  5. Web site: 2021-07-12 . Indy Pride . 2022-06-22 . indyencyclopedia.org . en-US.
  6. News: Harvey . Jay . 2012-05-29 . Circle City will show its pride during festival . Indianapolis Star . indystar.com . 2013-12-04 . https://web.archive.org/web/20120704180903/http://www.indystar.com/article/20120529/ENTERTAINMENT/205310310/Circle-City-will-show-its-pride-during-festival . July 4, 2012.
  7. News: Taflinger . Neal . 2012-05-31 . Not all flamboyant: Gay-pride festival expands kids events . Indianapolis Star . indystar.com . 2013-12-04 . https://web.archive.org/web/20120602150917/http://www.indystar.com/article/20120531/local/205310344/Not-all-flamboyant-Gay-pride-festival-expands-kids-events . June 2, 2012.
  8. Web site: 2016-06-10 . Q&A: Indy Pride Parade Founder Gary Brackett . 2022-06-24 . Indianapolis Monthly . en-US.
  9. News: . Gay pride parade first in more than 10 years . subscription . June 14, 2003 . . May 23, 2024 . 15 . Newspapers.com . The event, sponsored by Indy Pride In, kicks off at 9 a.m. with a gay pride parade, the first in the city in more than a decade, said Ivan Howard, co-chairman of the event. The parade will start at the intersection of St. Clair Street and College and Massachusetts avenues. The parade route runs southwest on Massachusetts to Vermont Street, then turns west and heads into University Park..
  10. Web site: Circle City IN Pride Parade . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20090521210853/http://www.indyprideinc.org/circlecityinpride/parade . 2009-05-21 . 2013-12-19.
  11. Web site: Dwyer . King . Kayla . Channing . After 2-year hiatus, Indy Pride parade and festival return to Downtown Indy Saturday . May 23, 2024 . The Indianapolis Star . en-US.
  12. Web site: Circle City IN Pride - Grand Marshal.
  13. http://www.circlecityinpride.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/01/Pride-Press-Release-IYG.pdf
  14. Web site: Indy Pride, Inc., Announces Your Grand Marshals for the 2014 Cadillac Barbie Pride Parade .
  15. Web site: Circle City IN Pride - Grand Marshal.
  16. Web site: 2016 Grand Marshals Announced.
  17. Web site: 2017 Grand Marshals.
  18. Web site: Bartner . Amy . 4 unexpected things you'll see at 2018 Indy Pride — and one you won't . 2022-06-21 . The Indianapolis Star . en-US.
  19. Web site: 2019-04-11 . Four Grand Marshalls of 2019 Indy Pride parade announced . 2022-06-21 . WRTV . en.
  20. Web site: Parade . 2022-06-21 . Indy Pride, Inc. . en.
  21. Web site: Bushman . Heather . ‘The love, the laughter’: Hoosiers ring in Pride with annual festival and parade . June 10, 2023 . May 23, 2024 . The Indianapolis Star . en-US.
  22. Web site: Tan . Aldrich M. . June 9, 2006 . Gay pride parade and festival to be highlights of 5 pride days: Breast cancer seminar is tonight; floats will start... . 2022-06-30 . Indianapolis Star . . en.
  23. Web site: Jarosz . Francesca . June 9, 2007 . Gay pride events are growing: Organizers expect more than 25,000 people to participate in festivities Downtown today . June 21, 2022 . The Indianapolis Star . . en.
  24. News: Hayes . Melanie . June 15, 2008 . A day of fun, sun and . . . pride: Annual festival and parade draw tens of thousands to Downtown sites . The Indianapolis Star . .
  25. News: June 14, 2009 . Pride and joy . The Indianapolis Star . June 24, 2022 . .
  26. Web site: Banes . T.J. . May 15, 2009 . Summer of festivals . June 30, 2022 . The Indianapolis Star . . en.
  27. News: Patriarche . Crystal . June 6, 2010 . Circle City IN Pride Parade & Festival . The Indianapolis Star . June 24, 2022.
  28. Web site: History of Pride . June 21, 2022 . Indy Pride, Inc. . en.
  29. Web site: June 13, 2013 . Photos: Indy Pride Festival Reaches Record Attendance—85,000 . June 21, 2022 . Indianapolis Monthly . en-US.
  30. Web site: June 15, 2014 . Photos: 2014's Record-Breaking Indy Pride . June 21, 2022 . Indianapolis Monthly . en-US.
  31. Web site: Wang . Stephanie . Amid 50,000 at Pride parade, a show of corporate support . June 21, 2022 . The Indianapolis Star . en-US.
  32. Web site: Bartner . Amy . Circle City IN Pride festival moves to bigger location . June 21, 2022 . The Indianapolis Star . en-US.
  33. Web site: Bartner . Amy . 4 unexpected things you’ll see at 2018 Indy Pride — and one you won’t . June 7, 2018 . The Indianapolis Star . May 23, 2024.
  34. Web site: Sims . Chris . What you need to know about Indy Pride Parade and Festival . June 6, 2019 . The Indianapolis Star . May 23, 2024.
  35. Web site: Nelson . Sarah . Indy Pride will be virtual for the second year in a row . June 21, 2022 . The Indianapolis Star . en-US.
  36. Web site: McGee . Lakyn . 2023 Indy Pride Parade and festival kicks off in downtown Indianapolis . . May 23, 2024.
  37. Web site: Gay . Logan . Event organizers, IMPD detail safety plan for Indy Pride Parade and Festival . . June 17, 2024.
  38. Web site: Dauphinais . Sydney . Thousands gather for the Indy Pride festival in downtown Indianapolis . . 17 June 2024.
  39. Web site: Tufts . John . The Beaches, Motown icon Thelma Houston to headline 2024 Indy Pride Festival . The Indianapolis Star . May 23, 2024.

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