By Jessi Virtusio
More Top Picks Ski Helmets
Daily Southtown
Homewood-Flossmoor Park District has presented the annual Starry Nights summer concert series for more than 30 years but 2023 marks a first.
The Park District and the villages of Flossmoor and Homewood have partnered to present Pride Starry Nights June 9 at the Irwin Park band shell to celebrate Pride Month and the LGBTQ+ community.
“We’ve taken an anticipated annual event and made it evolve,” said Oralethea Davenport, manager of Homewood-Flossmoor Park District’s Marie Irwin Community Center.
“This is the first time the Park District has held a Pride event and this is the first time that all three entities are working together collaboratively on such a large event.”
Davenport collaborated with Shari Klein, Homewood-Flossmoor Park District’s food and beverage manager; Stephanie Wright, program and event coordinator for Flossmoor; and Marla Youngblood, events manager for Homewood on the Pride celebration.
“Both villages have had this type of event separately and we just felt like when the village of Homewood, the village of Flossmoor and the Park District worked together that our event would be much stronger and reach much more of the Homewood-Flossmoor community,” said Wright of Flossmoor.
“That would make it an intentional and meaningful celebration.”
The event begins with approximately 10 vendors including Anxiety & Stress Center from Homewood with the practice’s founder and director Holly O. Houston; FLAIR, an LGBTQ Homewood social group for teenagers; Flossmoor Community Church; Planned Parenthood and PFLAG Tinley Park.
DJ Vic provides music during the two hours when resource and information vendors are at Pride Starry Nights in Homewood.
“We will march in the park to get people to come toward the stage,” said Davenport about the 6 p.m. walking parade at Pride Starry Nights, which also features Bel Canto Community Choir.
“Everyone wants to join and participate. We want everyone to be involved as much as they can.”
Pride Starry Nights is headlined by The PriSSillas, which consists of Lisa Thomen (vocals, guitar), Jenny Rockis (vocals, drums, guitar), Paula Marr (bass, vocals) and Angela Fett (guitar, vocals, drums).
“We wanted to have an entertainer that was either an ally or a member of the LGBTQ+ community and the PriSSillas fit that definitely,” said Davenport of Chicago’s South Side.
Attendees should bring blankets or lawn chairs for seating at Pride Starry Nights, where food, beverages and alcohol will be sold. Outside alcohol is prohibited.
Commemorative Pride T-shirts also will be available for purchase, with proceeds benefiting the Lighthouse LGBTQ Scholarship Fund, which awards scholarships to students graduating from Homewood-Flossmoor High School.
“I am one of the board members of Lighthouse LGBTQ and one of the founding members. We just awarded the scholarship (and) we were given an anonymous matching donation so we gave away two scholarships,” said Wright about the $1,000 scholarships awarded in 2023.
“It’s important to the village of Homewood, the village of Flossmoor and the Homewood-Flossmoor Park District that we are welcoming and affirming to all of our residents and guests especially during Pride Month.”
The Starry Nights series continues at 5 p.m. July 13 with family fun and games followed by a performance by Good Clean Fun at the Irwin Park band shell.
Pride Starry Nights
When: 5 p.m. June 9
Where: Irwin Park band shell, 18120 S. Highland Ave., Homewood
More Top Picks Best Slip On Walking Shoes With Arch Support
Admission: free
Information: 708-957-7275 or 708-957-0300; hfparks.com
Jessi Virtusio is a freelance reporter for the Daily Southtown.