BOYSTOWN — Whether you're a seasoned Pride Parader or a newbie to Boystown, there are a couple things you ought to know.
Here's a list of them.
When is the actual parade?
It kicks off at noon at Montrose and Broadway on Sunday. Last year's parade lasted about four hours, but organizers have cut back on the number of participants. #BlackOutPride protestors also held things up for about 20 minutes, which some officials blamed for the long parade.
Where is the parade?
The parade marchers will queue up along Montrose Avenue and North Broadway, branching off from the start point. It trails down Broadway until the street bisects, and then the parade travels down Halsted Street to Belmont Avenue. The procession turns east on Belmont and returns to Broadway before its final leg going east on Diversey Parkway. The parade ends at Diversey and Sheridan Road.
There are only a few spots where those on the sidelines can cross over to the other side of the street. Those are at Irving Park Road, Grace Street, Addison Street, Roscoe Street and Wellington Avenue.
What's the weather going to be like?
Muggy and rainy, unfortunately. Saturday is expect to hit 88 degrees, while Sunday will stretch into the low 90s, according to AccuWeather.
A storm Saturday will last into Sunday morning, lingering until 2 or 3 p.m. There's some hope, though: the National Weather Service says there's only a 50 percent of showers Sunday, with wind gusts up to 15 mph.
Where can I park?
Seriously, if it's at all avoidable, don't drive to the parade. Not only will there be scads of parking restrictions Sunday, but there's a good chance of some residual parking congestion from two Phish concerts at Wrigley Field this weekend.
Sheffield Avenue from Addison Street to Waveland Avenue and Waveland from Sheffield to Kenmore Avenue will be closed all weekend.
Cars will be towed along the parade route at 5 a.m. Sunday, and there will be no parking until 8 p.m. near the parade. Belmont from Sheffield to Broadway and Halsted from Grace Street to Belmont will remain clear until 9 a.m. Monday.
Other Sunday no parking zones include: Montrose Avenue from Greenview to Hazel; North Broadway from Leland to Grace and from Belmont to Diversey; Sunnyside Avenue from Broadway to Sheridan; Roscoe Street from Clark to Halsted; Diversey Parkway from Broadway to Cannon/Sheridan; Wellington from Clark to Racine; Cannon Drive from Diversey to Fullerton; Addison Street from 736 W. Addison St. to Sheffield; Waveland Avenue from Halsted to Broadway; Grace Street from Halsted to Fremont; and Clifton Avenue from Montrose to Sunnyside.
Where can I drink?
Definitely not along the parade route, folks. Like last year, officials are clamping down on alcohol at the parade, and getting caught risks a $1,000 open container fine.
There will be checkpoints along the route and scads of police officers and a security team 160-officers deep throughout Boystown keeping an eye out for booze.
RELATED: 'Few Hundred' More Officers At Pride Parade In Wake Of Orlando Shooting
There are, of course, dozens of bars and restaurants near the parade, and most open for the big show. If you want to snag a seat, get there early — the bars get pretty packed.
Cesars is offering giveaways and promotional photos along with its killer margaritas at both 2924 N. Broadway and 3166 N. Clark St. Sidetrack, 3349 N. Halsted St., will open at 11 a.m. and show the parade on its many televisions.
Dive Bar and D.S. Tequila's Pride champagne brunches both sold out, but they will open at 2 p.m. for walk-ins and 21+ only.
Need more ideas? Here's a map with every bar in Chicago.
Get more advice and tips from GoPride.com.
Who is in the parade?
Basically, everyone.
This year's grand marshal is "Chicago Fire" star Monica Raymund, a "proud member of the LGBTQ communities" and Chicago resident.
There are 160 entries this year, down from 200 last year. Sixty-six will include floats, from gay bars like Sidetrack and Phoenix to corporate-sponsored floats for Chicago's many pride groups. (Broadway in Chicago has a float in the second half of the parade — could we get a little "Hamilton" preview, perhaps?)
Tesla, Groupon, Trojan, Starbucks, LinkedIn, Uber, Walgreens and dozens of other businesses will have a presence at the parade. Schools like Nettelhorst and DePaul University have long participated, too.
There will, of course, be balloons, with Balloons By Tommy in the 27th spot. Motorcycles will be back with Organized Chaos and Bikes and Mics. Windy City Cowboys will dance next to PAWS Chicago, which will likely have some furry friends with them.
From TV stations to the Chicago Cubs, it's almost easier to list who won't be at the parade. Check out the full list here.
I'm hungry. Where's a good place for some grub?
There are dozens of restaurants in Boystown — go wild. If you're looking for something new, Lark just opened in the former Halsted's at 3441 N. Halsted St.
Earth's Kitchen is new, too, although they're usually only open for lunch on Sundays.
Toward the end of the parade route, Budlong Chicken has a tiny storefront packed with big flavor. There's plenty of tasty options on Lakeview's south border, from Panz to Nando's Peri Peri to Sushi Burrito.
If you'd like to do some good while you munch, Firecakes Donuts in Lincoln Park, 2453 N. Clark St., is donating $1 of its $2.89 Tahitian vanilla bean iced pride donut will benefit Center on Halsted. Firecakes opens at 7 a.m.
Q-Tine in Logan Square, 2339 N. Milwaukee Ave., also has a specialty poutine plate that will benefit Center on Halsted. A rainbow of sweet, purple and Yukon potatoes is topped with veggies, cheese curds and gravy. Center on Halsted gets $2 of the $11 dish, which will be available Friday through Sunday.
To avoid the crowds but stick to Lakeview, the Southport Corridor is probably far enough from the beaten Pride path to avoid the huge Pride crowds. The Cafe Tola stand is a neighborhood favorite, and 5411 Empanadas is now open at 3715 N. Southport Ave.
For great pub food to pair with a tasty brew, check out Corridor Brewing and Provisions. Healthier dishes are readily available at Lincoln Avenue's new Left Coast Food + Juice, which replaced the former Muskie's in April.
And if you're looking for some good old-style diners, the corner of Southport, Wellington and Lincoln has some great ones.
How about some coffee?
Lakeview has plenty of coffee shops very close to the parade route (Dollop Coffee, for example, has two locations at 4181 N. Clarendon Ave. and 824 W. Belmont Ave. basically on top of the parade). There's also The House Cafe, Bow Truss, Intelligentsia and Yefseis Cafe.
Baker & Nosh in Uptown will have free coffee from A La Colombe from 9 a.m. to 11 a.m. While it's a few blocks north at 1303 Wilson Ave., so grab a cup of joe on your way to the big show.
What other Pride festivities are going on this weekend?
FRIDAY:
• Center on Halsted, 3656 N. Halsted St., will kick off Pride Parade weekend with a Show Your Pride roof party. Dueling DJs Billy Brown and Gemini Jones will perform along with Lady Bunny from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. Tickets are $20 and include two drinks and "nibbles" of food. There will also be a cash bar.
• Smartbar, 3730 N. Clark St., will host two Queen! Pride shows at 10 p.m. Friday and Sunday. Hosted by Lucy Stoole, the dance party will feature music from Tony Humphries, Michael Serafini, Derrick Carter and Garrett David. Tickets Friday are $12 in advance, $14 at the door and $16 after midnight. On Sunday, it's $10 all night.
• Get geeky with "Star Whores: The Pride Awakens" at the Playground Theatre, 3209 N. Halsted St. The sketch comedy show from GayCo Productions is just $15 and will be at 10:30 p.m. Friday and Saturday.
SATURDAY:
• The annual Proud To Run 10K and 5K run/walk will take place along the lakefront for the 34th year Saturday.
The 10K run starts at 8:04 a.m. at Montrose Avenue and Simonds Drive, just north of Montrose Harbor. The 5K run/walk follows at 8:20 a.m. Runners can still register online until 6 p.m. Friday. Saturday registration begins at 6:30 a.m. on site.
• Catch some rays and get your tan ready for Sunday during the TransMale Beach Party from 10 a.m. to sundown at Hollywood Beach in Edgewater. Look for the trans pride flag and bring your own food and drinks.
• Navy Pier is launching its own Pride celebration. From noon to 10:30 p.m., the free event will feature performances from About Face Theatre, "Milly's Orchid Show" and DJ Ralphi Rosario, along with a display of 15 Chicago-centric panels of the AIDS Memorial Quilt.
At 5 p.m., "Her Story" star Angelica Ross will officiate what Navy Pier hopes will be Chicago's biggest wedding, which could involve dozens of couples. At 10:14 p.m., there will be a moment of silence honoring Orlando victims, followed by a Pride-themed fireworks show.
• Get marching a day early in the 20th annual Chicago Dyke March in Humboldt Park. March starts at 2 p.m. at Western and Division and will culminate in a rally around 3 p.m. near California and Division.
• Adjoining Smartbar, Metro Chicago will host Neverland's "Lost Boys" party, hosted by Imp Queen, on Saturday. DJ sets by Ivan Gomez and DJ Alexis-R start at 11 p.m. Promising a "surreal night of character-drive fantasy," tickets are $51 in advance and $60 at the door.
SUNDAY:
• Pride at Montrose starts at 10 a.m. Sunday at Montrose Harbor, with DJ sets and performances by Derrick Carter, GUCCIROXX and Kayee Ortiz. The party, powered by some major players in the Chicago LGBTQ scene, will also have a health village with items from the Chicago Department of Public Health and the Ruth M. Rothstein CORE Center.
• The annual Pride North festival takes over the Glenwood Arts District all weekend, but the main event spans from noon to 2 a.m. Sunday. Nearly 10,000 people are expected to attend and enjoy live music, three dance floors and neighborhood vendors.
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