Organizers said that more than 2,000 people marched or rode in the gay pride parade Sunday in Buffalo Grove, with hundreds of spectators lined along the parade route.
It rained heavily that morning as parade barricades were put up, but the weather cleared to sunny skies before noon.
The parade stepped off at Checker Drive and Carry Lane, beginning 15 minutes after the published start time of 11 a.m. due to parking and shuttle bus issues.
But then the parade was signaled to start by Bob and Carolyn Pinta of Prairie View (and of the Pinta Pride Project) promptly at 11:15 a.m.
“It’s amazing, it’s amazing, parking issues…but it’s amazing,” said Bob Pinta as the parade began. The parade is hosted by the Pinta Pride Project run by him, his wife Carolyn, and their 16-year-old daughter Molly.
Molly Pinta brought the first gay pride parade to Buffalo Grove in 2019. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the format in 2020 and 2021 switched to two community drive-by formats. This year was a return to a more pre-pandemic event.
“We are just so excited to be able to run the parade the way we wanted to this year,” Molly Pinta said.
She explained that the idea for a gay pride parade in Buffalo Grove started with the Pinta family “having a simple conversation” and posting on social media.
“And it just blew up,” the rising Adlai Stevenson High School junior said. “It was tons and tons of work but it totally paid off.”
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After the parade, the Buffalo Grove Park District invited the community to a Pride Picnic at Mike Rylko Community Park.
“I’m actually super proud of my hometown that we put on something like this,” said Jenna Wojciechowski, who lives near the starting point of the parade and also hosted a watch party.
Jackson Esposito also resides on the Checker Drive parade route and had a DJ performing on the driveway.
“I might build an actual, working float next year,” Esposito said.
Coco Sho-Nell, drag queen, was the parade grand marshal and rode in a convertible.
“It’s amazing to be here,” Sho-Nell said. “With all this love in the air.”
Organizers said there had been pushback by some neighbors who live near the parade route. They reportedly objected to being inconvenienced, among other concerns.
Nevertheless, “We are so happy that everybody came out and celebrated,” Carolyn Pinta said. “We’re sure that everybody is leaving with a piece of rainbow.”
Karie Angell Luc is a freelancer.