Over a Million Pack Lakeview Streets for Chicago's 55th Annual Pride Parade

More than a million people flooded Chicago's North Side on Sunday, lining rainbow flag-draped streets in Lakeview and Lincoln Park for the 55th annual Chicago Pride Parade — a jubilant, defiant celebration of LGBTQ+ identity at a moment when the community faces mounting pressure from federal policy rollbacks.

A City Turns Out in Force

The parade stepped off at 11 a.m. near the intersection of Grace and Halsted, winding south along a two-mile route through four neighborhoods before concluding at Diversey and Sheridan. Crowds packed the sidewalks along Broadway and Halsted, with the stretch between Belmont and Addison on Halsted among the most densely packed viewing areas of the day. Some 155 groups and participants marched alongside approximately 150 colorful floats, with live performances and entertainment filling the route throughout the morning.

Illinois Governor JB Pritzker was among the elected officials spotted marching and waving to cheering spectators, as was Mayor Brandon Johnson, who walked the parade route to enthusiastic crowds.