Raise your rainbow flags — Pride month is officially here and Queer Fam Pride Jam, a large-scale, family-friendly event coming to the Salt Shed Fairgrounds on Saturday, June 17, aims to bring the Pride fun for the whole family.
The free festival will feature wellness and creativity focused events galore, including art making, family yoga, sing-a-longs, skateboarding, drag makeovers, pop-up cultural performances, dance lessons and a vendor market with local foods and artisans, in honor of the LGBTQ+ community. The event will culminate with a drag show and all-ages dance party.
Quick details about Queer Fam Pride Jam
- Date: Saturday, June 17
- Time: 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
- Address: The Salt Shed, 1357 N. Elston Ave.
- Cost: Free
Queer Fam Pride Jam is a collaboration between the legendary queer party producers of Slo ‘Mo and the owners of Kido, an award-winning kids boutique in the South Loop.
Kristen Kaza, co-founder of Slo ‘Mo, and Keewa Nurullah, owner of Kido, became friends over their passion for supporting communities through fun and affirming events that celebrate diverse cultures, artists and businesses. After meeting at a family-friendly abortion rights march that Nurullah hosted last year, the two began to fuse their experience to present a Pride festival that could truly welcome all.
“We are lucky enough to have a strong community of diverse families who want to raise better citizens, and they are often looking for ways to support communities as allies,” says Nurullah. “As moms, we also saw that something needed to be done and we decided to do it ourselves.”
Kaza says part of the intention behind Queer Fam Pride Jam is to draw out some individuals who may be excluded from traditional Pride activities.
“A lot of events that take place during Pride month are at night and in clubs and party spaces which aren’t conducive to family lifestyles,” she says. “By doing something that is for all ages, free, outdoors and during the day, it makes for a more inclusive space for different types of folks.”
The Queer Fam Pride Jam is not just for LGBTQ+ families, and the organizers encourage the broader LGBTQ+ community and allies to attend.
“As parents, children look to us to lead the way, not only for basic level stuff, but also in empathy by showing them who we care about and how we look out for each other as citizens,” says Nurullah. “This event offers the perfect opportunity to go, be present and stand up as activist parents.”
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