Entries due soon for the 2025 Rockford Area Pride Parade!

Andrew J. Mertzenich
May 8
2 min read

The Rockford Area Pride Parade is set to return on Saturday, June 7, 2025, at 12:00 PM, bringing a vibrant celebration of love, diversity, and inclusion to downtown Rockford. The parade will commence at the intersection of East State Street and Charles Street, proceeding westward along East State Street, crossing the Rock River, and concluding at Wyman Street.

Parade Entries Close Soon

Organizations, businesses, individuals, and community groups interested in participating are encouraged to register their floats, walking groups, or decorated vehicles via the Rockford Area Pride Committee’s website at www.RockfordAreaPride.org. The registration fee is $50.00 per parade unit. Registration is open to all who support and uplift the LGBTQ+ community and wish to be a part of this vibrant event. The LGBTQIA+ Community needs more support than ever, and this is a visual way you can make a difference.

Don't miss the opportunity to be part of this vibrant celebration. Register your parade entry by May 15, 2025, and join the Rockford community in celebrating love, diversity, and unity. For more information and to register, visit www.RockfordAreaPride.org.

Volunteers Needed!

Interested in helping out with the Parade or elsewhere with the Rockford Area Pride Committee? Fill out an application at www.RockfordAreaPride.org.

Honorary Grand Marshals

The 2025 parade will feature three honorary grand marshals, each representing one of the parade's themes: celebrate, remember, and unite.

Celebrate: Auntie Heroine, a drag performer from Rockford, known for their national recognition as a finalist on season six of The Boulet Brothers’ Dragula.
Remember: Curt McKay, the first full-time director of the University of Illinois’s LGBT Resource Center, recognized for his contributions to LGBTQ+ rights.
Unite: Jenna Goldsmith, Rockford’s second Poet Laureate, dedicated to empowering marginalized voices through poetry, education, and activism.

Learn more about the Honorary Grand Marshals at: https://www.rockfordareapride.org/pride-information/2025-honorary-grand-marshals

Additional Pride Festivities

Following the parade, the Back Alley Pride Party, hosted by The Office Niteclub, will kick off at 1:00 PM in Lot 19, downtown Rockford. This event features live entertainment, dazzling drag performances, delicious food, music, and an inclusive atmosphere where everyone can be their authentic selves.

Rockford Area Pride

Attendees are also invited to sign the Rockford Area Pride Chronicle at Maze Books, 406 E. State St., Rockford, IL 61104, on June 7, 2025. Signing the Chronicle not only marks your presence at Rockford Area Pride 2025 but also signifies your support for the LGBTQIA+ community.