ALTON - Alton Pride will host their annual Pride Festival to celebrate LGBTQ+ community members.
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On Saturday, Sept. 12, 2026, Alton and surrounding communities are invited to Belle Street in downtown Alton for a festival featuring live music, drag shows, food and activity vendors and more. Anne McCoy, who helps organize the festival every year, expressed her excitement to welcome the community and bring people together.
“It is important that Alton Pride exists to show support,” she said. “It gives the LGBTQ+ community as a whole a sense of belonging and being part of something bigger. The festival gives the community the confidence of being seen by the entire city and surrounding areas, and they can tell by the sponsors, vendors, entertainment, and attendees that there are many supporters around us.”
The fun starts at 11 a.m. on Sept. 12 with an Alton Pride Pup Parade on Belle Street, featuring adoptable pets through Hope Animal Rescue. The festival continues through the day into the evening, with plenty of vendors, food trucks, beverage tents and more.
Attendees can also enjoy drag bingo, drag performances, and music throughout the day on the main stage. On the south stage, a DJ and karaoke will provide entertainment for all.
This year marks the fifth annual festival in Alton. McCoy was part of Alton Pride since its beginning, and she remembers it was “so exciting” to see the first festival in action. Five years later, she and festival director Debbie Burlingame can’t wait to share another event with the community.
The organization is sponsoring a $5 for Five Fundraiser to celebrate their fifth year and, they hope, expand their reach. Since their second year, Alton Pride has awarded scholarships to LGBTQ+ and ally high school students. McCoy said they hope to continue this work, but they need the community’s support to do so.
“We feel this $5 for Five fundraiser is a way to let all participants feel that they are contributing to their festival,” she added. “We look forward to planning more events and encourage the community to provide ideas and input.”
Beyond the annual Pride festival every September, Alton Pride creates award-winning floats for the Alton Halloween Parade, hosts a Thanksgiving food drive, and participates in other community events. They want to do more, and they encourage people to consider volunteering or supporting the organization.
For more information about the fifth annual Alton Pride Festival, visit the official Facebook event page. To learn more about Alton Pride, including how to support or how to get involved, check out their official website or their official Facebook page.
This featured article is sponsored by Alton Pride. To get your business or organization featured on www.RiverBender.com, contact us at sales@riverbender.com.
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