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PRIDEChicago Sets 'Free to Be Proud' Theme for 2026 Chicago Pride Parade

Organizers frame the message as a yearlong campaign reclaiming Pride’s purpose.

Overview

  • The 55th annual parade is scheduled for 11 a.m. on Sunday, June 28, 2026, stepping off in Chicago’s Northalsted neighborhood.
  • Community Grand Marshals will be Tracy Baim, Mona Noriega, Evette Cardona, and the Alliance of Illinois Judges.
  • PRIDEChicago says the theme affirms that the freedom to live openly, love authentically, and exist safely is not guaranteed.
  • The initiative extends beyond parade day as a yearlong effort inviting people to define what freedom means to them.
  • The Alliance’s president, Judge Jill Rose Quinn, is identified as Illinois’ first openly transgender judge and elected official, and details are available at pridechicago.org.