Chicago Pride Fest, a two-day prelude to Sunday’s Pride Parade, will bring an array of free music and drag performances to two stages in Boystown (on Halsted between Waveland and Grace).
On Friday, the South Stage offers performances by the Kimi Hayes Band (4 PM), the Windy City Cowboys (5:30 PM), eighties cover band Rock Candy (6 PM), and powerpop group Dot Dot Dot (8 PM). On the North Stage, there will be two drag shows (5 PM and 8 PM) and performances by house singers Jeannie Tracy (6 PM) and Martha Wash (8 PM).
Saturday’s festivities begin with Petco’s Pet Pride Parade at 12:30 PM. The South Stage will feature by the cheerleaders of the Chicago Spirit Brigade (2 PM), the Righteously Outrageous Twirling Corps (aka ROTC –2 PM), The Joans, whose mission is to give Joan Crawford “the rock and roll voice she deserves” (3:30 PM), the Chicago Gay Men’s Chorus (4:30 PM), disco-funk-motown revue 7-DEEZ (6 PM), and eighties tribute band Sixteen Candles (8 PM). On the North Stage, there will be two drag shows (3:30 PM and 5:30 PM) and performances by Boi Toiz (1:30 PM), former teen-pop idol Debbie Gibson (2:30 PM), R&B singer-songwriter Thelma Houston (4:30 PM), Crystal Waters (6:30 PM), Inaya Day (7:30 PM), and dance singer Ultra NatĂ© (8:30 PM). There will also be a fashion show by the International Academy of Design & Technology at 6:30 PM.