Twin Cities Pride greenlighted for July 17-18; Milwaukee PrideFest nixes plans for October
Sat. May 15, 2021 9:39 AM by Gerald Farinas
milwaukee pridefest, 2017
photo credit // ken brown
The 49th annual Minneapolis-St. Paul, Minn. Pride festival—known as Twin Cities Pride—announced they are moving forward with holding the event at Minneapolis' Loring Park from July 17-18. But it will be without the annual concert, fireworks, and parade.
Twin Cities Pride Executive Director Dot Belstler told local Minnesota news affiliates that major parts of the festival were axed with public safety in mind.
“Our primary concern is for the health of the LGBT community, which is more likely to be affected by COVID and other health concerns, so there will be some modifications to the traditional layout,” Beltsler said.
Organizers urged anyone participating to get vaccinated and stay well ahead of the events.
Meanwhile, the other major regional Pride event in the upper Midwest, Milwaukee PrideFest will remain cancelled.
Milwaukee Pride organizers had intended to move the event from its original June date for the cooler autumn—but those plans were nixed.
“We are not planning an October event,” Milwaukee Pride President Wes Shaver said to local Wisconsin news affiliates.
Shaver noted that time is not on their side for planning it right and wouldn't be successful.
This will be the second year the event has been cancelled.
Milwaukee PrideFest is one of the largest LGBT festivals in the country, overshadowing its neighboring Twin Cities and Chicago festivals—not counting Chicago's annual million-attendee Pride Parade.
Related: Market Days set to return in August; Chicago Pride Fest a 'possibility' for September
Related: Chicago Pride Parade 'highly unlikely' in June, hope remains for later in 2021
Twin Cities Pride Executive Director Dot Belstler told local Minnesota news affiliates that major parts of the festival were axed with public safety in mind.
“Our primary concern is for the health of the LGBT community, which is more likely to be affected by COVID and other health concerns, so there will be some modifications to the traditional layout,” Beltsler said.
Organizers urged anyone participating to get vaccinated and stay well ahead of the events.
Meanwhile, the other major regional Pride event in the upper Midwest, Milwaukee PrideFest will remain cancelled.
Milwaukee Pride organizers had intended to move the event from its original June date for the cooler autumn—but those plans were nixed.
“We are not planning an October event,” Milwaukee Pride President Wes Shaver said to local Wisconsin news affiliates.
Shaver noted that time is not on their side for planning it right and wouldn't be successful.
This will be the second year the event has been cancelled.
Milwaukee PrideFest is one of the largest LGBT festivals in the country, overshadowing its neighboring Twin Cities and Chicago festivals—not counting Chicago's annual million-attendee Pride Parade.
Related: Market Days set to return in August; Chicago Pride Fest a 'possibility' for September
Related: Chicago Pride Parade 'highly unlikely' in June, hope remains for later in 2021