LGBT pride parade, festival planned for Woodstock

A new festival to celebrate Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Pride Month is set for June in Woodstock.

The newly formed Woodstock Pride group is planning the multiday event, which will feature a parade, festival, live music, vendors, a drag show and children’s’ activities on and around Woodstock’s historic Square. U.S. Rep. Lauren Underwood, D-Naperville, is scheduled to speak at the event.

June is marked as LGBT Pride Month in honor of the 1969 Stonewall riot that served as the tipping point for the gay liberation movement, according to the Library of Congress.

Woodstock’s celebrations will kick off with a Kid’s Pride Fest at 10 a.m. June 6 at Mixin Mingle, 124 Cass St. The event will feature story time, crafts and a raffle, said Melissa McMahom, external vice president of Woodstock Pride.

This will be the organization’s 2nd Kid’s Pride Fest, but first citywide event, she said.

The group hosted the first Kid’s Pride Fest last summer and approached the city with the idea for a full-blown Pride Month parade and fest after seeing the supportive reaction to the initial event.

“We have been really kind of delightfully surprised by the reception it has been getting,” McMahom said. “We weren’t sure how it was going to go over.”

Events will continue June 7, with an all-ages Dragology and Haus of Plastic drag queen show at Mixin Mingle. The show will go from 8 to 10 p.m. and doors open at 7 p.m. Woodstock bar and restaurant D.C Cobb’s will host an after-party beginning at 10 p.m. at the restaurant, 226 Main St.

On June 8, Woodstock Public Library will host a Magic the Gathering meet at 10 a.m. Mixin Mingle will host a brunch and drag show from 10 a.m. to noon. All ages are welcome and tickets can be bought on the Mixin Mingle website.

An “Everyone Belongs” story time will take place at 10:30 a.m. June 8 at Read Between the Lynes, 111 E. Van Buren St. A free concert on the Square by the GooRoos will take place from 7 to 10 p.m. The concert kicks off the new “Rockstock” summer series.

Pride weekend ends June 9 with an 11 a.m. parade around the Square and a festival afterward. Underwood is expected to speak June 9. Vendors, entertainment, music and food will be offered.

A full schedule of events can be found on the Woodstock Pride Facebook group: www.facebook.com/woodstockpride.