Dixon Pride Fest pumped up to fill Page Park June 17

DIXON – The second annual Dixon Pride Fest is looking to pack Page Park with entertainment and celebration June 17.

Pride festivals are events celebrating the self-acceptance, achievements, overcoming obstacles and legal rights of people who are lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, nonbinary and queer.

The city’s first pride fest took place downtown last year with music, drag shows and vendors drawing more than 2,400 people throughout the event. It also led to organizers creating the Sauk Valley Pride nonprofit to expand resources and support across the region.

We’re very confident we’re going to knock it out of the park again this year.”

—  Andrew Glasscock, president of Sauk Valley Pride

[ Dixon Pride Festival organizers creating nonprofit to serve Sauk Valley area ]

This year’s Dixon Pride Fest has a new venue at Page Park where it will host double the vendors and be able to accommodate a larger crowd, Sauk Valley Pride President Andrew Glasscock said.

“We’re so excited to have the green space and be able to fill Page Park up,” he said. “We’re very confident we’re going to knock it out of the park again this year.”

The free, family friendly festival will run from 2 to 10 p.m.

Entertainment includes DJ Wayne at 2 p.m., drag shows at 3 p.m. and 8 p.m. featuring Jax from Rue Paul’s Drag Race, and musician Alisabeth Von Presley at 5 p.m. The emcee will be Barbara Busch Light.

Following the festival, three pop-up drag shows will take place at 11 p.m. at Val’s Place, PatiO’s and the Royal Palms.

There will be around 60 vendors including Mama Cimino’s, Brito’s Grill, Big D’s Hotdogs, Sweet Butts Cotton Candy and Kona Ice as well as vendors representing a wide range of businesses and organizations like the Lee County Health Department and Sinnissippi Centers.

Val’s Place owner Val Wilson will be grand marshal for her community advocacy.

The festival celebrates the LGBTQ community and allies while providing an inclusive and supportive place, Glasscock said.

“I think there are people in our community who grow up feeling ashamed for being gay, and that’s unacceptable,” he said. “We should all be treated equal. We are all Americans, and we all have equal rights, period.”

The organization is also working on expanding pride events in the area such as a future pride festival in Sterling or Rock Falls.

Find Sauk Valley Pride on Facebook or email dixonpridefest@gmail.com for more information.