History of Gay and Lesbian Life in Milwaukee, Wisconsin - Events - Pride Celebrations - PrideFest Milw.

Milwaukee PrideFest Timeline

Jump to: Pre-1988   1990   1995   2000   2005   2010   2015  

(click on a year to see more detail on that year's PrideFest)

Year   Dates, Location   Firsts, Stats   Guide
1988 Date: Saturday September 10

Location:
Mitchell Park
(other events throughout the city over the next 2 weeks)

Theme:
"Rightfully Proud"

Attendance: Several hundred people attended
the 2-week-long events

Activities:

  • Softball tournament and picnic at Mitchell Park,
  • Formal ball,
  • Town hall meeting with elected officials,
  • Film festival.

    Firsts:

  • Milwaukee Lesbian/Gay Pride Committee founded
    		•

    (No formal Pride Guide issued; issues of In Step and Wisconsin Light served as Pride Guides)
    1989 Date: Saturday June 17

    Location:
    Cathedral Square (Rally)

    Parade: Two miles from the Walker's Point bar district to Rally

    Theme:
    "Stonewall 20: A Generation of Pride"

    		 Attendance: about 1,000

    Activities:

  • March, 500 sign-carrying people walked the two miles from the Walker's Point bar district to Rally in Cathedral Square, where another 500 people had gathered

    Firsts:

  • Rally moved to Cathedral Square
  • First year as part of International Association of Lesbian/Gay Pride Committees

    Of Note:

  • After issuing proclamations recognizing Pride celebrations, both the mayor and county executive were threatened with recall campaigns initiated by religious-based conservative groups. As a result, the MGLPC march and rally was the opening story on all three major news telecasts and featured on the front page of the Sunday Milwaukee Journal.
    		•

    (No formal Pride Guide issued; issues of In Step and Wisconsin Light served as Pride Guides)
    1990 Dates: June 16

    Location:
    Cathedral Square (Rally)

    Parade: Saturday June 16

    Theme:
    "Look to the Future: The Gay 90's"

    		Attendance:

    Activities:

  • Parade, followed by
  • Rally in Cathedral Square

    Firsts:


    • View PrideGuide as PDF file
    (OCR searchable text)
    1991 Dates: June 15

    Location: Juneau Park

    Parade: Saturday June 15

    Theme:
    "Together in Pride"

    		 Attendance:

    Firsts:

  • Rally with entertainment and food,
  • creating a festival atmosphere
    		•

    View PrideGuide as PDF file
    (OCR searchable text)
    1992 Dates: June 14

    Location: Juneau Park

    Parade: Saturday June 14

    Theme:
    "The Power of Pride"

    		 Attendance: over 7,000

    Firsts:

  • Two entertainment stages
    		•

    View PrideGuide as PDF file
    (OCR searchable text)
    1993 Dates: June 12+13

    Location: Juneau Park

    Parade: Sunday June 13

    Theme:
    "Forward In Pride"

    		 Attendance: 12,000

    Activities:

  • Concert (Sat. June 12)
  • Festival+Parade (Sunday June 13)

    Firsts:

  • Main celebration over 2 days;
  • Sports area;
  • Youth tent;
  • Rummage sale.
    		•

    (Issues of In Step and Wisconsin Light served as 1993 Pride Guides)
    1994 Dates: June 11+12

    Location:
    Veteran's Park (2-day Festival)

    Parade: Sunday June 12

    Theme:
    "Our Time to Shine"

    		 Attendance:

    Firsts:

  • MLGPC dissolved aand PrideFest incorporated;
  • 2-day Festival relocated to Veteran's Park (north of Art Museum);
  • three stages (including Harvey Milk Stage);
  • exhibits, a few dozen craftspeople and vendors;
  • Classic Car Show;
  • Dance Tent;
  • History Tent;
  • Volleyball Invitational.
    		•

    View PrideGuide select pages
    1995 Dates: Events June 10-11

    Location:
    Veteran's Park (2-day Festival)

    Parade: Sunday June 11

    Theme:
    "Live The Dream"

    		 Attendance: 9,000 (parade)

    Firsts:

  • Fireworks show (the first for any Pride event in the nation);
  • Fine Arts Festival;
  • Lighted boat parade
    		•


    View PrideGuide select pages
    1996 Dates: June 7-9

    Location:
    Henry W. Maier Festival Park
    (2-day Festival)

    Parade: Sunday June 9

    Theme:
    "Carry The Torch"

    		 Attendance: 9,640

    Firsts:

  • Festival relocated to Henry W. Maier Festival Park (Summerfest grounds), the first of 14 festivals on the grounds that year;
  • Dubbed "RainFest" due to torrential downpours.

    • View PrideGuide as PDF file
    (OCR searchable text)
    1997 Dates: June 6-8

    Location:
    Maier Festival Park (3-day Festival)

    Parade: Sunday June 8

    Theme:
    "Sharing A World Of Difference"

    		 Attendance: 12,278

    Activities:

  • Entertainment on four stages;
  • Presentations and lectures in two activity areas;
  • Miller Lite Volleyball Tournament;
  • Mass Wedding/ commitment ceremony;
  • Over 100 vendors.

    Firsts:

  • Hosted entertainment on four stages;
  • Canvas tent dance area holding 600 people;
  • ABBA tribute band "Bjorn Again" entertains;
  • PrideFest97 website created.

    • View PrideGuide as PDF file
    (OCR searchable text)
    1998 Dates: August 28-30

    Location:
    Maier Festival Park (3-day Festival)

    Parade: Sunday August 30

    Theme:
    "Many Worlds One Community"

    		 Attendance: 14,478

    Activities:

  • Additional stage,
  • beautiful August weather.

    Firsts:

  • August Festival
    		•

    View PrideGuide as PDF file
    (OCR searchable text)
    1999 Dates: August 6-8

    Location:
    Maier Festival Park (3-day Festival)

    Parade: Sunday August 8

    Theme:
    "Courage To Build Bridges"

    		 Attendance: 13,455

    Firsts:

  • Headliner Kathy Sledge sang "We Are Family"
  • Pride flag appear in streets of Milwaukee
  • Milwaukee Police Band performs in Parade

    • View PrideGuide as PDF file
    (OCR searchable text)
    2000 Dates: June 9-11

    Location:
    Maier Festival Park (3-day Festival)

    Parade: Friday June 9

    Theme:
    "Proud From the Inside And Out"

    		 Attendance:

    Firsts:

  • Debate with the City: is it a March or a Parade?
  • First night parade
    		•

    View PrideGuide as PDF file
    (OCR searchable text)
    2001 Dates: June 8-10

    Location:
    Maier Festival Park (3-day Festival)

    Parade: Friday June 8

    Theme:
    "People-Pride-Power"

    		 Attendance:

    Firsts: ;

    View PrideGuide as PDF file
    (OCR searchable text)
    2002 Dates: June 7-9

    Location:
    Maier Festival Park (3-day Festival)

    Parade: Sunday June 9
    (see photos)

    Theme:
    "10% Crowd- 100% Proud"

    		 Attendance: 18,604

    Activities:

    Firsts:

  • Parade returns to Sunday
    • 2003 Dates: June 6-8

    Location:
    Maier Festival Park (3 day Festival)

    Parade: Sunday June 8

    Theme:
    "Our Time to Shine"

    		 Attendance:

    Activities:

  • Headliner: 80's legend Pat Benatar

    Firsts:

  • Financial disaster; PrideFest close to declaring bankruptcy after the 2003 festival

    • (actual size: 4.5" wide x 10" high)
    (100 pages, glossy)
    2004 Dates: June 5+6

    Location:
    Maier Festival Park (2 day Festival)

    Parade: -none-

    		 Attendance: 15,807

    Activities:

  • No Parade
  • PrideFest Legacy Angels memorial;
  • Music sensations Kristine W. and Amber

    Firsts:

  • Newly reconstituted PrideFest Board;
  • Reduced to 2 days instead of 3;
  • No Pride Parade for the first time in many years
    		•

    (actual size: 11" wide x 13.75" high)
    (32 pages, newsprint)
    View PrideGuide as PDF file
    (OCR searchable text)
    2005 Dates: June 11+12

    Location:
    Maier Festival Park (2 day Festival)

    Parade: Sunday (by separate group)

    		 Attendance:

    Firsts:

  • Pride Parade organized by OutBound magazine;
    		•

    (actual size: 10.5" wide x 14" high)
    (60 pages, newsprint)
    2006 Dates: June 9-11

    Location:
    Maier Festival Park (3 day Festival)

    Parade: Sunday (by separate group)

    		 Attendance: over 23,000

    Activities:

  • Parade again organized by OutBound magazine and the Milwaukee LGBT bars;

    Firsts:

  • Return to 3-day festival;
  • Pride banners hung along Parade route.
    		•

    (actual size: 5.5" wide x 10.25" high)
    (88 pages, newsprint)
    2007 Dates: June 8-10

    Location:
    Maier Festival Park

    Parade: Sunday June 10 (by separate group)

    		 Attendance: over 28,000

    Activities:

    Firsts:

  • PrideGuide printed by Quest magazine
    		•

    (actual size: 8.5" wide x 11" high)
    (48 pages, magazine)
    2008 Dates: June 6-8

    Location:
    Maier Festival Park

    Parade: Sunday June 8(by separate group)

    		 Attendance: 18,200

    Activities:

  • Headliners: Wanda Sykes; Natasha Bedingfield; Indigo Girls.

    Firsts:


    • (actual size: 8.5" wide x 11" high)
    (52 pages, magazine)
    2009 Dates: June 12-14

    Location:
    Maier Festival Park

    Parade: Sunday (by separate group)

    		 Attendance: approx. 29,800

    Activities:

  • Headliners: Cindy Lauper; Brandy; Etta James; Deborah Cox; September;
  • Over 120 Performers on Six stages.

    Firsts:


    • (actual size: 8.5" wide x 11" high)
    (52 pages, magazine)
    2010 Dates: June 11-13

    Location: Maier Festival Park

    Weather: Friday: Warm. Saturday: seasonably cool and foggy. Sunday: started sunny, slightly warmer; but rain appeared for evening and downpour during Joan Rivers.

    		 Attendance: 30,358

    Activities:

  • Headliners Kathy Griffin, Patti Labelle, Joan Rivers;
  • Separate Parade on Sunday

    Firsts:

  • Health and Wellness Area;
  • Dance Stage had a huge LED screen, first of any festival in Milwaukee
    		•

    (actual size: 8.5" wide x 11" high)
    (52 pages, magazine)
    2011 Dates: June 10-12

    Location: Maier Festival Park

    Weather: Record Cold (low-mid 50's) all weekend, light rain

    		 Attendance: 23,400

    Activities:

  • Headliners Mo'nique, Salt-N-Pepa, Leann Rimes;
  • Separate Parade on Sunday

    Firsts:

  • History Display officially becomes part of PrideFest;

    		•

    (actual size: 8.5" wide x 11" high)
    (52 pages, magazine)
    2012 Dates: June 8-10

    Location: Maier Festival Park

    Weather: Seasonably warm (mid-upper 70's) all weekend, no rain

    		 Attendance: 28,100

    Activities:

  • Headliners ;
  • Separate Parade on Sunday

    Firsts:

  • Womyns Area (performance area and bar).
    		•

    (actual size: 8.5" wide x 11" high)
    (52 pages, magazine)
    2013 Dates: June 7-9

    Location: Maier Festival Park

    Weather: Seasonably cool (60's- low 70's) but no rain

    		 Attendance: 28,340

    Activities:

  • Headliners: Friday: Erasure's Andy Bell; Saturday: Indigo Girls; Sunday: Amanda Palmer.
  • Separate Parade on Sunday

    Firsts:

  • LGBT Community Center area (bar and performance area);
  • Multi-cultural Stage (Oldies, Hip Hop, Latin American music).
    		•
     
    (No Pride Guide this year)
    2014 Dates: June 7-9

    Location: Maier Festival Park

    Weather: Mild seasonal weather

    		 Attendance: 31,295

    Activities:

  • Headliners: Friday: Bruce Vilanch, Chad Michaels, Cazwell
    Saturday: Macy Gray
    Sunday: Lisa Lampanelli, Sandra Bernhard.
  • Separate Parade on Sunday

    Firsts:

  • .
    		•
     
    (No Pride Guide this year)
    2015 Dates: June 5-7

    Location: Maier Festival Park

    Weather: Mix: Friday seasonably cool, breeze off lake; Sat. and Sunday warm (20 min. rain Sun. late afternoon, then cleared)

    		 Attendance: 32,822

    Activities:

  • Headliners: Saturday: Ani DiFranco; Sunday: En Vogue.
  • Separate Parade on Sunday

    Firsts:

  • Health and Wellness area moved to south end; open area at main entrance became addiitonal gathering and food vendor area.;
  • .
    		•
     
    (No Pride Guide this year)
    2016 Dates: June 10-12

    Location: Maier Festival Park

    Weather:

    		Attendance: 33,438

    Activities:

  • Headliners: Blondie, Ralphi Rosario, Hector Fonseca, GGOOLLDD and The Dots.
  • Separate Parade on Sunday

    Firsts:

  • Early Sunday morning, PrideFest organizers acknowledged the Orlando tragedy (where dozens were killed by a shooter at the Pulse gay nightclub the night before) and responded with reassurances of increased festival safety and security. In addition to introducing full metal detection, expanding Milwaukee Police Department presence, adding security staff, and providing bereavement services, PrideFest Milwaukee shared a call to action:
  • “While thoughts and prayers are welcome, action is required,” said Michail Takach, communications director. “Today is a day to come out, to be seen, and to be heard, in honor of those whose day was stolen from them. Today is a day to remember where we started and why we started. Today is a day for solidarity.”
    •  
    (No Pride Guide this year)
    2017 Dates: June 9-11

    Location: Maier Festival Park

    Weather: Hot and Humid

    		 Attendance: 37,682 (a new record)

    Activities:

  • Headliners: Betty Who, Steve Grand, 10,000 Maniacs, Todrick Hall
    Keynote speaker Jim Obergefell, national marriage equality activist
    Master of ceremonies Randy Rainbow
  • Separate Parade on Sunday

    Firsts:

  • 30th PrideFest
  • Plus One Donations $5,109 - largest ever
  • Plus One recipient: GSAFE, supporting Wisconsin's LGBTQ students.
    		•
     
    (No Pride Guide this year)

    Jump to: Pre-1988   1988   1990   1995   2000   2005   2010   2015  

    Credits: original materials contributed by PrideFest and Ted Berg,
    with additional materials provided by the UWM Libraries- Special Collections.
    Website design and arrangement by Don Schwamb.
    Last updated: June-2017.