Thousands expected at Loring Park as Twin Cities Pride fights to fund year-round LGBTQ+ programs
Pride festival focuses on fundraising efforts
This year’s Twin Cities Pride Festival is back at Loring Park, drawing crowds for a weekend of celebration and community as organizers focus on fundraising for year-round support.
MINNEAPOLIS (FOX 9) - This year’s Twin Cities Pride Festival is back at Loring Park, drawing crowds for a weekend of celebration and community.
Organizers focus on fundraising for year-round support
What we know:
Organizers say sponsorship levels are about the same as last year, but they still need to raise $200,000 to support ongoing programs for the LGBTQ+ community.
Kelsey Alto, director of programming for Twin Cities Pride, said, "We wanted to bring some queer joy, because queer joy is an active resistance."
This year, organizers have made some budget cuts, including eliminating the VIP grandstand at the parade and making other small shifts to stretch their resources.
Alto said, "We really have had to make some cuts, so we don't do a VIP grandstand anymore at the parade, and just some shifts like that."
The festival is relying more on small businesses, community support and individual donations after moving forward without Target as a sponsor for the second year in a row.
Alto said, "We're still trying to make up that money. Other corporations are experiencing the same issues. There's a lot less funding, especially not even just from that, but from tariffs and like the economy in general."
The festival features live music, food and hundreds of vendors, but the financial challenges are shaping how organizers plan for the future.
Local perspective:
For some, this is their first time at Twin Cities Pride. Kelly Taylor of Candles By You said, "It's our first year here. It's so important for people to just be themselves and feel free to express themselves however they want."
Koryn Donovan, who attended Youth Night with her brother and dad, shared, "Hopefully, it'll help me feel a little bit more like I belong."
She added, "I haven't had many other groups like that have any LGBTQ people in them, because it seems like a lot of people my age are very closed off with this still."
The festival’s Youth Night kicked off Friday, and organizers hope the event’s resources will continue to support people like Donovan throughout the year.
The Twin Cities Pride Festival opens Saturday at 10 a.m., and the parade is set for Sunday at 11 a.m.