Buffalo Grove's 5th annual Pride Parade marches in northwest suburbs

The Buffalo Grove Pride Parade kicked off Pride Month in the northwest suburbs Sunday with more than 100 participants, according to organizers. 

"The 5th annual parade was the best one yet," said BG Pride organizer Carolyn Pinta of The Pinta Pride Project.

This year, the rainbow-filled family-friendly parade took a new, even longer, route before ending at Mike Rylko Community Park for the annual Pride Picnic. 

The theme was The Magic of Pride, and the grand marshals - Tommy and Scott DeLorenzo of Bensenville - rode in a castle built by Bob Pinta.

"Balloons by Tommy made a most spectacular appearance," said Carolyn Pinta. "Celebrating their work as grand marshals was very special to us."

The parade also featured crowd favorites, including the Chicago Pride Guard, Chicago Spirit Brigade, and Lakeside Pride. 

"This day of pride was never more important,” Carolyn Pinta told GoPride.com. 

BG Pride was born in 2018 when then-12-year-old Molly Pinta went to her first pride parade and left with an ambitious idea: she wanted to start an LGBTQ pride event in her hometown: Buffalo Grove, Illinois.

Now 17, Molly is a senior at Stevenson High School and is bisexual. She was accepted to a veterinarian program at Kentucky State University that begins on the day of the parade. “While we are so saddened not to have her there, she has worked so very hard to get accepted to this program and she must do it,” her mom said.

She is still undecided about her college plans for the fall.

Molly will be featured in the Rebel Girls Celebrate Pride book, set to be released on May 23. The 64-page book features 25 inspiring tales of LGBTQIA+ community members, including Janelle Monae, Billie Jean King, Marcia P. Johnson, Sylvia Rivera, Dr. Lady Phyll and others.

Ross Forman contributed to this report.

Photos: Buffalo Grove Pride Parade 2023