Windy City Media Group Frontpage News

THE VOICE OF CHICAGO'S GAY, LESBIAN, BI, TRANS AND QUEER COMMUNITY SINCE 1985

home search facebook twitter join
Gay News Sponsor Windy City Times 2023-12-13
DOWNLOAD ISSUE
Donate

Sponsor
Sponsor
Sponsor

  WINDY CITY TIMES

Naper Pride set to host inaugural Pride fest
by Carrie Maxwell
2021-09-04

This article shared 2195 times since Sat Sep 4, 2021
facebook twitter pin it google +1 reddit email


Naper Pride will hold its inaugural pride fest event, "Coming Together, One Community—One Naperville," on Sept. 11-12.

Incidentally, "Coming Together, One Community—One Naperville" is also Naper Pride's organizational philosophy of complete inclusivity.

"Naper Pride is a family-centered, Naperville-focused, celebration of LGBTQ+ members of our city and community," said Naper Pride co-founder/ Executive Director Margie Wolf. "We are a four-year-old 501(C)(3) founded by my wife, Andi, and [me] out of a desire to bring critical resources for the LGBTQ community to Naperville and the surrounding area.

"Our ultimate goal is to build an LGBTQ+ community center that will support our residents, and create a path to physical and mental wellness in a safe and supportive environment. Community service is our responsibility and our passion."

Since its inception, Naper Pride has embarked on a number of initiatives to help Naperville and the surrounding communities. They include:

—Providing 250 people who were negatively impacted by COVID-19 holiday meals;

—Supporting LGBTQ+-owned small businesses that were struggling during the pandemic:

—Instituting a holiday outreach to 300 senior citizens;

—Organizing volunteers to help restore downtown Naperville following a peaceful protest that turned violent;

—Assisting an LGBTQ+ individual with their legal services and path to citizenship;

—Donating household items to furnish four apartments for LGBTQ+ youth; and

—Partnering with local medical providers to ensure that the community has access to health and wellness resources.

All of the donations and proceeds from Naper Pride's events are used to support the LGBTQ+ community.

The upcoming Pride fest resulted from a desire to create a family-friendly weekend of entertainment, activities and food provided by local eateries. Wolf said the goal is to bring the community together from all walks of life to celebrate inclusivity and the contributions of LGBTQ+ individuals.

"When we first started planning Naper Pride Fest, it was not long before we realized that we did not know how to make the vision in our heads for this event a reality," said Wolf. "On the advice of Naperville SECA commissioner Shannon Robb-Greene, we started interviewing event-management companies. We met with Hank Zemola and Bruce Buzil of Chicago Special Events Management (CSEM) and immediately knew we had the perfect partnership.

"CSEM is particularly skilled in producing LGBTQ+ events and are responsible for some of our favorite and most well-known celebrations like the Chicago Pride Parade, Pride in the Park and the Chicago AIDS Walk/Run. They also are responsible for events closer to us, like Lisle's Eyes to the Skies. We felt they had the perfect blend of LGBTQ and suburban event management to bring our dream to life."

There will be a memoriam to mark the 20th anniversary of the 9/11 terrorist attack at 11:00 a.m. Naperville City Councilman Benny White, DuPage County Board Member Dawn DeSart, and Illinois House of Representatives member Janet Yang Rohr will be the memoriam guest speakers. Area LGBTQ+ first responders will also be recognized.

Among the numerous food vendors will be Blackhawk BBQ, Enrique's Place, Cebollita Grill and Mid-City Grill. Live music featuring a Grammy-winning headline artist, The Voice and American Idol finalists and many others as well as a circus-themed event (no clowns or circus animals) with jugglers, magicians and other acts will take place throughout both days.

Additionally, Wild Illinois will be on hand with native Illinois animals from Big Run Wolf Ranch to discuss preserving natural habitats, the benefits of these animals and how humans can successfully live in their environment. Also, DuPage County Forest Preserve representatives will speak about Illinois trees and plants and how to plant native gardens as well as the importance of preservation.

The vendor area will have GSA, Youth Outlook and 360 Youth Services booths; neighboring town's Pride organizations booths; health and wellness resources; and a specific area for Naperville's small businesses, crafters and others.

LGBTQ+ beneficiary organizations for this event include Youth Outlook, 360 Youth Services, and SAGE Advocacy and Services for LGBT Elders.

The Sept. 11 (11 a.m.-10 p.m.) and Sept. 12 (11 a.m.-6 p.m.) festivities will take place at Naper Settlement Museum, 523 S Webster St., Naperville. On Sept. 12, the first hour will be an adjusted sensory time called Lacy's Place for seniors and those who require subdued sensory environments.

"I am so very proud of the Naper Pride leadership team and the organization that we have built over the last four years," said Wolf. "We have accomplished a lot in a very short amount of time, and I cannot wait to see what the future holds."

Single-day tickets are $75 for VIP, $15 for adults, $10 for seniors aged 65+ and veterans and free for children ages 6 and younger. Two-day passes are $125 for VIP, $25 for adults, $15 for seniors aged 65+ and veterans and free for children 6 and younger. See www.naperpride.org/ .


This article shared 2195 times since Sat Sep 4, 2021
facebook twitter pin it google +1 reddit email

Out and Aging
Presented By

  ARTICLES YOU MIGHT LIKE

Gay News

Pride 365 event emphasizes year-round support for LGBTQ+ employees 2024-03-07
- Queer employees are queer all year-round. The need for employers to accordingly support and uplift them year-round was the core message at Howard Brown Health and Citywide Pride's Pride 365 "Out of Office to Out in ...


Gay News

Center on Halsted to host trans youth & family summit 2024-02-19
- Center on Halsted, 3656 N. Halsted St., has announced that its Trans Youth & Family Summit 2024 will take place March 16. This year marks the sixth annual event, which partners between Youth Services' Pride Youth ...


Gay News

Lakeside Pride Wilde Cabaret Valentine's Day Feb. 17 2024-02-16
--From a press release - Lakeside Pride Wilde Cabaret puts their own spin on Valentine's Day with a show celebrating things done and sacrificed for love - not just romantic love, but love for pets, friends, family and art. Join the ...


Gay News

GLAAD, NFL host third annual pre-Super Bowl event 'A Night of Pride' 2024-02-08
- On Feb. 7, LGBTQ+ media-advocacy organization GLAAD, along with The National Football League (NFL), hosted the third annual "A Night of Pride" at Caesar's Palace in Super Bowl LVIII's host city of Las Vegas, a press ...


Gay News

Chicago Fire FC announces 2024 theme nights; Pride Night will be June 1 2024-01-19
--From a press release - CHICAGO (Jan. 18, 2024) — Chicago Fire FC announced the club's theme nights for select home matches during the 2024 regular season, driven by Carvana. The Club's 2024 calendar features 11 theme nights, including the return ...


Gay News

WORLD Austria proposal, conferences, Pride marches, tennis player, Gay Games 2023-11-03
- In Austria, a historic proposal by the country's Ministry of Justice sees 33 million euros (approximately $35 million U.S.) set aside to compensate those who were persecuted or convicted of consensual same-sex acts—although critics say th ...


Gay News

NHL reverses decision to ban Pride Tape, allowing players to show support for LGBTQ+s 2023-10-24
--From a press release - (New York, NY - October 24, 2023) Today the National Hockey League (NHL) reversed its decision to ban Pride Tape and other displays of support for LGBTQ people on the ice, stating: "After consultation with the ...


Gay News

THEATER Company of 'Wolves': Redtwist's Dusty Brown on gay Riding Hood retelling, Grindr, gender identity 2023-10-16
- It's all about Pride in 2023-24 at Redtwist Theatre. The 19th season for this North Side black-box theater includes three very different productions, starting with Wolves, called a "gory, gay reimagining of 'Little Red Riding Hood.'" ...


Gay News

NHL bans Pride Tape from hockey games and practices 2023-10-11
- The National Hockey League (NHL) has designated that athletes will no longer be able to show support to the LGBTQ+ community while playing, according to Out, which cited Outsports. The league has issued a ban of ...


Gay News

GAY HISTORY MONTH George Harris reflects on his late husband and Dallas activism 2023-10-10
- Special to Windy City Times. To mark Gay History Month, this article appears courtesy of Dallas Voice and the LGBT History Project. When George Harris and Jack Evans became the first couple to legally marry in ...


Gay News

Illinois colleges make list of most unsafe places for LGBTQ+ youth 2023-10-05
- Campus Pride has released its list of the worst places for LGBTQ+ youth—and several Illinois colleges and universities are on it. According to a press release, "the Worst List identifies the 'absolute worst, most unsafe campuses ...


Gay News

GAY HISTORY MONTH Putting an end to the myths of Stonewall 2023-10-02
- Special to Windy City Times. In recognition of Gay History Month, this article appears courtesy of the LGBT History Project and Philadelphia Gay News. For years, people have debated what actually happened that night in June ...


Gay News

SHOWBIZ 'Sex Education' star, Rotten Tomatoes, Jessica Lange, Queer/Art 2023-09-08
Video below - Sex Education star Ncuti Gatwa officially came out during an interview with Elle UK, according to Out. "I remember being at Manchester Pride, going through the streets with all my boys, shaking my cha-chas, living it ...


Gay News

Brave Space Alliance holds Post Pride Mixer 2023-08-30
- On Aug. 27, Brave Space Alliance held its Post Pride Mixer at popular lesbian-owned bar Nobody's Darling. The social gathering celebrated past accomplishments while looking forward to new horizons for both the service organization and the ...


Gay News

UIC among nation's top 30 campuses for LGBTQ+ students 2023-08-25
--From a press release - The University of Illinois Chicago has been named one of the top 30 colleges and universities for LGBTQ+ students, according to Campus Pride, a national organization serving LGBTQ+ and ally student leaders and campus organizations in ...


 


Copyright © 2024 Windy City Media Group. All rights reserved.
Reprint by permission only. PDFs for back issues are downloadable from
our online archives.

Return postage must accompany all manuscripts, drawings, and
photographs submitted if they are to be returned, and no
responsibility may be assumed for unsolicited materials.

All rights to letters, art and photos sent to Nightspots
(Chicago GLBT Nightlife News) and Windy City Times (a Chicago
Gay and Lesbian News and Feature Publication) will be treated
as unconditionally assigned for publication purposes and as such,
subject to editing and comment. The opinions expressed by the
columnists, cartoonists, letter writers, and commentators are
their own and do not necessarily reflect the position of Nightspots
(Chicago GLBT Nightlife News) and Windy City Times (a Chicago Gay,
Lesbian, Bisexual and Transgender News and Feature Publication).

The appearance of a name, image or photo of a person or group in
Nightspots (Chicago GLBT Nightlife News) and Windy City Times
(a Chicago Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual and Transgender News and Feature
Publication) does not indicate the sexual orientation of such
individuals or groups. While we encourage readers to support the
advertisers who make this newspaper possible, Nightspots (Chicago
GLBT Nightlife News) and Windy City Times (a Chicago Gay, Lesbian
News and Feature Publication) cannot accept responsibility for
any advertising claims or promotions.

 
 

TRENDINGBREAKINGPHOTOS







Sponsor


 



Donate


About WCMG      Contact Us      Online Front  Page      Windy City  Times      Nightspots
Identity      BLACKlines      En La Vida      Archives      Advanced Search     
Windy City Queercast      Queercast Archives     
Press  Releases      Join WCMG  Email List      Email Blast      Blogs     
Upcoming Events      Todays Events      Ongoing Events      Bar Guide      Community Groups      In Memoriam     
Privacy Policy     

Windy City Media Group publishes Windy City Times,
The Bi-Weekly Voice of the Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual and Trans Community.
5315 N. Clark St. #192, Chicago, IL 60640-2113 • PH (773) 871-7610 • FAX (773) 871-7609.