Indy Pride Festival

Indy Pride Festival
Main Stage, 2007
Genre	LGBTQ, pride parade
Location(s)	Indianapolis, Indiana
Attendance	95,000
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]

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

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

• 2006: Julia Carson
• 2007: Del Shores^[3]
• 2009: Broadway cast of Wicked
• 2010: Indy Bag Ladies
• 2011: Cadillac Barbie (Gary K. Brackett)
• 2012: Jordan Windle^[16]
• 2013: Indiana Youth Group^[17]
• 2014: Layshia Clarendon, Coburn "Coby" Palmer, Megan Roberson, and Rick Sutton^[18]
• 2015: Greg Ballard^[19]
• 2016: Alice Langford and Betty Wilson^[20]
• 2017: Chris Paulsen and Deanna Medsker^[21]
• 2018: Finley C. Norris^[22] Margaret Irish, Mark A. Lee, Terrell Parker, Jenna Scott, and Wes Scott
• 2019: Shelly Fitzgerald, J. D. Ford, Trinity Haven, and Low Pone^[23]
• 2022: Trans Solutions Research & Resource Center, GenderNexus, ACLU of Indiana, Indianapolis City-County Council members Zach Adamson, Ali Brown, Ethan Evans, and Keith Potts^[24]
• 2023: David Hochoy and Parents of Trans Youth^[25]
• 2024: No publicized Grand Marshals

Attendance

Total estimated annual attendance of the parade and festival.

Year	Location(s)	Attendance
2002		2,000[11]
2003
2004
2005		25,000[11]
2006	University Park; Garfield Park[11]	25,000[3]
2007	University Park	30,000[26]
2008	University Park	35,000[26]
2009	University Park[27][12]	45,000[28]
2010	American Legion Mall	55,000[14]
2011	American Legion Mall; Veterans Memorial Plaza	70,000[1]
2012	American Legion Mall; Veterans Memorial Plaza	80,000[29]
2013	American Legion Mall; Veterans Memorial Plaza	85,000[30]
2014	American Legion Mall; Veterans Memorial Plaza	95,000[31]
2015	American Legion Mall; Veterans Memorial Plaza	106,000[32]
2016	American Legion Mall; Veterans Memorial Plaza	110,000[33]
2017	Military Park[33]
2018	Military Park[34]
2019	Military Park[35]
2020	held virtually due to COVID-19 pandemic	40,000[9]
2021	held virtually due to COVID-19 pandemic[9]
2022	Military Park[15]	100,000[36]
2023	Military Park[36]	32,000—35,000[37][38]
2024	Military Park[39]

See also

• Indy Pride
• List of LGBT events
• Pride of Indy Band and Color Guard
• List of attractions and events in Indianapolis

External links

• Indy Pride
  • Indy Pride Festival
• Pride of Indy Bands
• Indiana Youth Group
• Indianapolis PFLAG

References

1. Smith, Erika D. (2011-06-12). "Gay pride festival goes mainstream this year". Indianapolis Star. Archived from the original on June 15, 2011. Retrieved 2013-12-04.
2. "Indy Pride: Don't Miss Indiana's Largest Celebration of Acceptance & Equality". www.visitindiana.com. 2018-05-15. Retrieved 2022-06-21.
3. Jarosz, Francesca (June 9, 2007). "Gay pride events are growing: Organizers expect more than 25,000 people to participate in festivities Downtown today". The Indianapolis Star. ProQuest 240902498. Retrieved June 21, 2022.
4. Poletika, Nicole (2021-10-05). "From "Gay Knights" to Celebration on the Circle: A History of Pride in Indianapolis". The Indiana History Blog. Retrieved 2022-06-22.
5. 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
6. "Indy Pride". indyencyclopedia.org. 2021-07-12. Retrieved 2022-06-22.
7. Harvey, Jay (2012-05-29). "Circle City will show its pride during festival". Indianapolis Star. indystar.com. Archived from the original on July 4, 2012. Retrieved 2013-12-04.
8. Taflinger, Neal (2012-05-31). "Not all flamboyant: Gay-pride festival expands kids events". Indianapolis Star. indystar.com. Archived from the original on June 2, 2012. Retrieved 2013-12-04.
9. Nelson, Sarah. "Indy Pride will be virtual for the second year in a row". The Indianapolis Star. Retrieved June 21, 2022.
10. "Q&A: Indy Pride Parade Founder Gary Brackett". Indianapolis Monthly. 2016-06-10. Retrieved 2022-06-24.
11. 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..." Indianapolis Star. ProQuest 240830034. Retrieved 2022-06-30.
12. Banes, T.J. (May 15, 2009). "Summer of festivals". The Indianapolis Star. ProQuest 241012060. Retrieved June 30, 2022.
13. "Gay pride parade first in more than 10 years". The Indianapolis Star. June 14, 2003. p. 15. Retrieved May 23, 2024 – via 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.
14. "Circle City IN Pride Parade". Archived from the original on 2009-05-21. Retrieved 2013-12-19.
15. Dwyer, Kayla; King, Channing. "After 2-year hiatus, Indy Pride parade and festival return to Downtown Indy Saturday". The Indianapolis Star. Retrieved May 23, 2024.
16. "Circle City IN Pride - Grand Marshal".
17. http://www.circlecityinpride.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/01/Pride-Press-Release-IYG.pdf ^{[bare URL PDF]}
18. "Indy Pride, Inc., Announces Your Grand Marshals for the 2014 Cadillac Barbie Pride Parade".
19. "Circle City IN Pride - Grand Marshal".
20. "2016 Grand Marshals Announced".
21. "2017 Grand Marshals".
22. Bartner, Amy. "4 unexpected things you'll see at 2018 Indy Pride — and one you won't". The Indianapolis Star. Retrieved 2022-06-21.
23. "Four Grand Marshalls of 2019 Indy Pride parade announced". WRTV. 2019-04-11. Retrieved 2022-06-21.
24. "Parade". Indy Pride, Inc. Retrieved 2022-06-21.
25. Bushman, Heather (June 10, 2023). "'The love, the laughter': Hoosiers ring in Pride with annual festival and parade". The Indianapolis Star. Retrieved May 23, 2024.
26. 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. ProQuest 240960660.
27. "Pride and joy". The Indianapolis Star. June 14, 2009. ProQuest 241011144. Retrieved June 24, 2022.
28. Patriarche, Crystal (June 6, 2010). "Circle City IN Pride Parade & Festival". The Indianapolis Star. Retrieved June 24, 2022.
29. "History of Pride". Indy Pride, Inc. Retrieved June 21, 2022.
30. "Photos: Indy Pride Festival Reaches Record Attendance—85,000". Indianapolis Monthly. June 13, 2013. Retrieved June 21, 2022.
31. "Photos: 2014's Record-Breaking Indy Pride". Indianapolis Monthly. June 15, 2014. Retrieved June 21, 2022.
32. Wang, Stephanie. "Amid 50,000 at Pride parade, a show of corporate support". The Indianapolis Star. Retrieved June 21, 2022.
33. Bartner, Amy. "Circle City IN Pride festival moves to bigger location". The Indianapolis Star. Retrieved June 21, 2022.
34. Bartner, Amy (June 7, 2018). "4 unexpected things you'll see at 2018 Indy Pride — and one you won't". The Indianapolis Star. Retrieved May 23, 2024.
35. Sims, Chris (June 6, 2019). "What you need to know about Indy Pride Parade and Festival". The Indianapolis Star. Retrieved May 23, 2024.
36. McGee, Lakyn (10 June 2023). "2023 Indy Pride Parade and festival kicks off in downtown Indianapolis". WISH-TV. Retrieved May 23, 2024.
37. Gay, Logan (8 June 2024). "Event organizers, IMPD detail safety plan for Indy Pride Parade and Festival". WTHR. Retrieved June 17, 2024.
38. Dauphinais, Sydney (8 June 2024). "Thousands gather for the Indy Pride festival in downtown Indianapolis". WFYI. Retrieved 17 June 2024.
39. Tufts, John. "The Beaches, Motown icon Thelma Houston to headline 2024 Indy Pride Festival". The Indianapolis Star. Retrieved May 23, 2024.