Ozarks Pridefest is part of Pride Month observed each June in the United States. The month honors the 1969 Stonewall Uprising in Manhattan, which was the tipping point for the Gay Liberation Movement in the U.S., according to the Library of Congress.
“Ozarks PrideFest exists as a celebration of the progress that we've made as the LGBTQ+ community over the last several decades," said Aaron Schekorra, executive director of the Glo Center in Springfield, which hosts the event. "But also, it continues to be a protest against the policies that our leaders continue to create that negatively impact our community.”
This event on Saturday, June 14, kicks off at noon on Park Central Square, rain or shine. A headliner concert will feature Paige Alyssa, an R&B artist from the St. Louis area; a drag show with two contestants from Ru Paul’s Drag Race; 140 vendor booths and a parade, which gets underway at 11:30 a.m.
Pride Fest 2025 in St. Louis is charging admission for its event on June 28 and 29 due to corporate sponsors pulling or scaling back their support, according to St. Louis Public Radio. But Schekorra said that's not a problem they've faced — they’ve met their sponsorship goals.
For people who have been sharing negative messages about Pride celebrations on social media, Schekorra has this to say:
“Learn what it is that we're actually doing. Learn what it is that we are — the kind of event that we're putting on," he said. "Learn what our messaging and our purpose is, and ask questions in a good faith, like polite and professional way if you want to learn more.”
He said Pridefest is a family friendly event that will offer activities geared toward families.
But he's prepared for any protests that might pop up. The Ozarks Pridefest website offers this advice: "Please ignore potential protestors as much as possible and instead allow the security personnel and trained peacekeepers, who are designated for such situations and possess relevant expertise, handle it appropriately."
The Glo Center, 518 E. Commercial St. in Springfield, has been hosting Pridefest since 1998, according to Schekorra. When it started, it was called Tolerance Fest.
The Glo Center provides a variety of services, community events an advocacy opportunities for the community, Schekorra said. That includes peer support groups, a youth group for high school-aged kids, a young adult group and various groups for adults. It also offers programming for families such as art classes presented by the Springfield Regional Arts Council.
The Glo Center is working to address more critical needs in the community, according to Schekorra. It's recently added a social worker to its staff and partnered with Ozarks Food Harvest to add a food pantry. It helps folks find housing "and so just looking at addressing more of those disparities that are created by some of the things that our society has implemented," he said, "and...then on top of all of that, preserving our culture."
