Pridefests Reign with Pride Again

Springfield IL (June 7, 2026) Pridefest season is in full bloom and CORAL has been happy to be there.  We’re only one week into our month of June and CORAL has already attended four Pridefests, sponsoring three of them, in Central Illinois and there are so many more events on the horizon. 

There may have been rain, wind, and flashes of lightening, but no one could take the thunder out of another Springfield Pridefest.  This year’s event, held on May 16^th, had the additional issue of having to deal with downtown construction, which created the new set up of everyone arranged on the Y-block as opposed to the streets around it.  While some vendors initially had concerns with being placed on the grass, the overall opinion from attendees was favorable with many of them stating they enjoyed the atmosphere of being closer to one another.

The usual routine was followed with a parade starting on 5^th street several blocks South of downtown leading to the ribbon cutting to commence the event.  Over the next several hours, attendees mingled amongst the vendors while enjoying entertainment from the main stage and treats bought from differing food trucks. The evening culminated with a drag show on the main stage with Mahogany Knight and Sharon Sharealike’s teams performing.

On May 30^th, CORAL made the trip over to Jacksonville to Twisted Tree Music Hall to participate in Jacksonville Pride’s annual Pridefest.  In only their fourth year of celebrating, the event has grown every year.  This year, they had over 20 vendors and 200 attendees.  As in the past, all proceeds donated for the event are given to Equality Illinois.  Blaise Stewart and his family, who began and continue to put on the event, have worked tirelessly to not only increase the marketing for the event but to expand it every year.  If you’ve never been to the Twisted Tree venue, you’re missing an opportunity to see it if you don’t attend.  With it’s indoor facility, outdoor stage, and more than enough space to last for years, Jacksonville Pride’s Pridefest will have a lengthy history.

The next weekend, CORAL had the pleasure of attending another Logan County Pridefest on the downtown Lincoln square.  While we’ve had the pleasure of seasonal temps before June 6^th, the day turned out to be a muggy one with a hint of a breeze to keep the sweat content down.  With a slightly different set up than in year’s past, the event still had a great turnout with the evening drag show bringing out what appeared to be a record number of attendees.

The Pridefest season is far from over so look to CORAL’s calendar for the month of June and make your plans to enjoy your Pride anyway you like.