Mark your calendars: Pride events around Indiana happening in Summer 2023

Elissa Maudlin, Indianapolis Star
Updated ·9 min read
7

Summer is almost here, which means it's nearly time for Pride, and cities around Indiana are getting ready for their annual LGBTQ+ community celebrations.

Here are the details on some of the events people can look forward to this summer to celebrate Pride.

Indianapolis Pride Festival, parade and other events

  • Indy Pride Festival: 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. June 10

The event will occur in Military Park (West New York St. Indianapolis, IN 46202). All bags brought into the event must be clear and cannot be bigger than 12″ x 6″ x 12″, according to a new policy on their website. All bags will be inspected. There will be multiple entertainers at the event. General admission tickets are $10 plus a service fee, while children 5 and younger are free with an adult. Coolers and outside food or beverages are prohibited.

  • Indy Pride Parade: 10 a.m. to noon June 10

The event features floats, vehicles and walking groups. It will occur at Mass Avenue (748 Massachusetts Ave. Indianapolis, IN 46204) and is free to attend, although attendees do reserve a ticket to get calendar details and notifications about the parade. Attendees can also make a donation to Indy Pride.

  • Indy Pride Pet Pride: 12 p.m. to 3 p.m. June 3

Get ready to take your pet to a pride celebration at Riverside Park (2420 E Riverside Drive, Indianapolis, Indiana 46208). There will be vendors, music, and local animal shelters, "pet-centric business owners" and nonprofit organizations will also make an appearance, according to Indy Pride's website. The event is free to attend.

  • Indy Pride Deaf Pride: 6-10 p.m. June 5

The event is at Hi-Fi (1043 Virginia Ave, Indianapolis, IN 46203) and is open to all community members. Hearing individuals are also welcome to attend, according to Indy Pride's website. LUNA Language Services will be providing American Sign Language interpreters, and the event is free to attend and open to all ages.

  • Youth Pride Carnival: 1-6 p.m. June 7

Indiana Youth Group is partnering with Indy Pride for this event designed for youth ages 12-20 years old at 3373 N. Meridian St. Attendees get to enjoy food, face painting, an obstacle course, dunk tanks, a DJ and more, according to Indy Pride's website. A valid ID is required, and programming for parents and guardians will be provided at Trinity Episcopal Church. The event is free but attendees must register in advance and walk-ins are not permitted.

For more information on other pride events in Indianapolis, visit Indy Pride's website.

Fort Wayne Pride 2023

  • Pride 2023: 7 p.m. to midnight July 21 and noon to midnight July 22

The event is located at Headwaters Park in downtown Fort Wayne. The first night, there will be music and a dance party, including a beer tent and food, according to Fort Wayne Pride's website. The second day, there will be a vendor market, two entertainment stages, a cornhole tournament and a KidSpace. All ages are welcome until after 8 p.m. when children ages 5 and under are required to leave and when the event is not guaranteed to be "family-friendly," the website said. There will also be a Pride march at 2 p.m. July 22 north near the Headwaters fountain.

For more information, go to the Fort Wayne Pride website.

Bloomington Pridefest

  • Pridefest: August 26

The event is at Kirkwood Avenue in Bloomington. It features live performances, music, food, workshops and other activities, according to Bloomington's website.

To stay tuned on updates, visit Bloomington PRIDE's website or follow them on Instagram at btown_pride.

Lafayette OUTFest

  • OUTFest: 4 p.m. to 12 a.m. August 19

The event is hosted by Pride Lafayette and is located at 5th and Main Street, Lafayette, IN 47901. There will be live entertainment, beer gardens, drag shows, etc, according to Lafayette's website.

Visit Pride Lafayette's website to stay tuned on updates.

Evansville River City Pride Festival and Parade

  • River City Pride Festival and Parade: June 3

The event will be at downtown Evansville on Main Street. There will be vendors, entertainers and food trucks, according to River City Pride's website.

For more information, stay tuned on River City Pride's website.

South Bend Pride Festival

  • South Bend Pride Festival: 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. June 17

There will be a vendor fair, live entertainment and food at Potawatomi Park (2105 East Mishawaka Avenue South Bend, IN, 46615).

For more information, check out South Bend Pride's website.

Muncie Pride Network and Muncie OUTreach's Pride Celebrations

  • Muncie Pride Celebration: 7 p.m. to 10 p.m. June 1, 7 p.m. to 10 p.m. June 2, and 7 p.m. to 12 a.m. June 3

On June 1, there will be Drag Bingo at Fickle Peach. June 2, there will be a lip-sync battle and a drag show at Harmony Dance Studio. June 3, there will be a Pride Celebration Party at The Heorot.

For more information, contact Muncie Pride Network's Facebook page.

  • Muncie OUTreach Celebration: 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. September 2

The location is Canan Commons and the event will include bands, drag performers, food, artists, etc. There will also be parties in the local bars throughout June, Laura Janney, the executive director of Muncie OUTreach, said via email.

For more information, contact Muncie OUTreach via their website.

Columbus Pride Festival

  • Columbus Pride Festival: 1 p.m. to 7 p.m. September 30

The location for the festival is Mill Race Park (50 Carl Miske Dr., Columbus, IN 47201) and there will be a drag show from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m.

For more information, go to the Columbus Pride Festival website.

The Southern Indiana Pride Festival

  • The Southern Indiana Pride Festival: 4 p.m. to 11 p.m. June 3

From 1:30 p.m. until 3:30 p.m., there is a kickoff party at 300 Spring Venue in Jeffersonville, according to the Facebook page. The festival will include food trucks, drag performances and a beer garden for attendees 21 and older. The festival is free and family-friendly until 8 p.m. After 9 p.m., only attendees 18 and older may attend. The parade will not be happening this year.

For more information, go to Southern Indiana Pride's Facebook page.

Michigan City Pride Fest Pride

  • Michigan City Pride Fest Pride: 1 p.m. to 8 p.m. June 17

The event is free and will feature music, vendors, food trucks and a drag show. The location is the Guy Foreman Amphitheater in Washington Park.

For more information, go to Michigan City Pride's website.

Steuben Pride Festival and Parade

  • Steuben Pride Festival: 1 p.m. to 6 p.m. June 24

It's the third annual Steuben Pride Festival and located at The Selman Timber Frame Shelter in Commons Park (Circle Hill Cemetery Road Angola, IN, 46703). There will be live entertainment, family activities, vendors, etc.

  • Pride Parade: 12:30 p.m. to 1 p.m. June 24

The parade starts at The Mound (55 South Public Square Angola, IN, 46703) and ends at the pride festival.

For more information, visit Steuben Pride's website.

Grant County Pride Festival

  • Grant County Pride Festival: noon to 5 p.m. June 24

The event is family-friendly and free to attend. The location is Matter Park Bandshell/Shelter 5 and the event will include food, music and vendors. There are also other events happening throughout the weekend.

Check out Grant County Pride's website for more information.

Kokomo Pride Festival

  • Kokomo County Pride Festival: 2 p.m. to 8 p.m. June 24

The location is 500 Block N Buckeye Street and activities include food, music and prizes.

For more information, go to Kokomo County Pride's website.

Westfield Pride Festival

  • Westfield Pride: 2 p.m. to 7 p.m. September 30

For more information regarding this event, visit Westfield Pride's link tree.

Carmel's Pride Festival

  • Carmel's Pride Festival: 3 p.m. to 9 p.m. June 25

The event will be held at Carter Green Carmel, IN 46032 and there will be music, art, performances and more.

For more information visit Carmel Pride's website.

Indiana Pride in Color Festival

  • Indiana Pride of Color Festival: August 9-13

The event provides community resources, programs and fun, according to their website. There are tickets for this event.

For more information, visit Indiana Pride of Color's website.

Greenwood Pride's Festival

  • Greenwood Pride's Festival: noon to 6 p.m. June 3

The event is at Woodmen Park by the high school. The event is family-friendly and will have food trucks, vendors, entertainment and more. It will also include on-site wedding ceremonies, according to its flyer.

For more information, visit Greenwood Pride's website.

Hendrick's County Pride Picnic and Celebration

  • Hendrick's County Pride Picnic and Celebration: noon to 4 p.m. June 25

There will be food trucks, artists, vendors, music, etc. The event is at Williams Park in Brownsburg, IN.

For more information follow Hendrick's County Pride on Facebook.

Spencer Pride Festival

  • Spencer Pride Festival: noon to 7 p.m. October 7

More information will be announced at Spencer Pride's website.

Terre Haute Pride Festival

  • Terre Haute Pride Festival: 3 p.m. to 8 p.m. September 16

The location is Indiana State University and they will be posting a call-out for vendors, volunteers, entertainers and more.

Visit Terre Haute Pride's Facebook page for more information.

Dubois County Pride Festival

  • Dubois County Pride Festival: 1 p.m. to 7 p.m. June 24

The event will be held at Jasper Riverwalk-Dave Buehler Plaza (150 Third AvenueJasper, IN 47546).

For more information, visit Dubois County Pride's website.

Seymour PRIDE Event

  • Seymour PRIDE: 1 p.m. to 6 p.m. June 25

The event is located at Celebrations Banquet Hall and will be family-friendly, according to the Facebook page.

For more information, visit Seymour PRIDE's Facebook event page.

Contact Pulliam Fellow Elissa Maudlin at EMaudlin@gannett.com or on Twitter @ejmaudlin.

This article originally appeared on Indianapolis Star: Pride month 2023: Festivals and parades happening around Indiana