Photos by Andy Argyrakis

If Pride In The Park was able to survive a global pandemic, it could surely endure a series of tornado and flash flood alerts, and for those who made it through the rain, it wound up being a two-fold celebration of considerable significance.

In addition to shining a spotlight on the LGBTQ+ community and its allies, the weekend extravaganza marked the first large-scale return to concerts in Chicago on a stacked bill of hitmakers, newcomers, legends and locals.

Saturday night was topped by global superstar Tiesto, the Dutch Grammy-winner who’s been dubbed “the world’s greatest DJ” and is widely considered the godfather of EDM, though he remains a major player in the game thanks to 2020’s “The London Sessions.”

He more than lived up to those descriptions in front of a giant production overflowing with lasers, smoke, sparks and a kaleidoscope of colors that matched the pulsating beats of everything from his recent smash, “Jackie Chan,” through remixes of Lady Gaga and Zedd.

Prior to his headlining performance, Australian pop singer/songwriter Betty Who and her dancers got the masses moving and the rainbow flags flying with a chart-topping cover of Donna Lewis’ “I Love You Always Forever” and her signature “Somebody Loves You.”

In addition to taking in the lengthy list of opening day entertainers that also included house music DJs Derrick Carter and Hector Fonseca, plus multiple favorites from “RuPaul’s Drag Race,” a portion of the ticket proceeds benefited The Center On Halsted, which provides a safe haven for queer and underprivileged youth.

COVID-related safety was also a top priority with the assistance of Health Pass by CLEAR, an app that securely verifies and stores proof of vaccination, while Howard Brown Health and several other testing centers around town were available for those not fully vaccinated to obtain a negative test in advance.

The action and activism continues on Sunday, June 27 with a spectacular line-up spearheaded by Chicago’s own icon Chaka Khan, plus additional performances from Gryffin, The Vixen, Tenderoni, Kinley Preston, Mila Jam, Tracy Young and many more.

For additional information on Pride In The Park, visit PrideInTheParkChicago.com.

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