Milwaukee PrideFest kicks off summer festival season: 'Fantastic day'
MILWAUKEE - Milwaukee's Hoan Bridge was lit Friday, June 2 to mark Pride Month and opening night of PrideFest.
PrideFest is kicking off festival season at Henry Maier Festival Park, and some attendees said it's their favorite.
"It’s a fantastic day to be out," said Zoe Mauser. "We’ve got some nice wind coming off the lake."
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Everyone loves a Milwaukee summer, and at the festival "love" is everywhere – in the air on festival grounds and, of course, between the people.
"Love the skin you’re in, and love who you love," said Jessica Roach, supporting her daughter Courtney Wingate at PrideFest.
Milwaukee PrideFest 2023 opening night
"I had somebody come up and just hand me this ring and was like, ‘I think you look fantastic have this,’" Mauser said.
Milwaukee Pride, the organization behind PrideFest, said it's the kind of party that has a purpose.
"It’s a time of year where tens of thousands of individuals come together to just be themselves," said Milwaukee Pride CEO Wes Shaver. "Being an LGBT person is very hard."
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The PrideFest opening ceremony invited LGBTQ community leaders and elected officials who called for a renewed push for inclusivity and acceptance.
"Discrimination, prejudice and violence we’ve seen directed at LGBTQ+ members of our community has no place right here," said Milwaukee County Executive David Crowley.
"We’ve come too far to let the bigotry and hate tear us down," Milwaukee Mayor Cavalier Johnson said.
Milwaukee PrideFest 2023 opening night
Those who hit the festival grounds said the fabric of the whole community is stronger when it's built on love.
"We’re all the same deep down, we’re all the human race," said Wingate.
"Absolutely, come out celebrate who we are, but we need to be fighting year-round to be openly who we are," Mauser said.
Milwaukee is known as the "City of Festivals" for a reason. Next weekend, Polish Fest will take over the grounds with Summerfest, of course, still to come.