Though some cities in Iowa have already kicked off their official Pride festivities the first weekend of June — we see you Rock Island! — there is still lots to look forward to this Pride Season in SE and Central Iowa. Keep reading to check out some highlights of the plentiful array of celebrations happening in our state.
(A note: this list is not exhaustive, but if there is an event in your area that you think should be on Little Village‘s radar, feel free to add it to our events calendar!)
Iowa City & Cedar Rapids area
Iowa City and Cedar Rapids always come through with their official citywide celebrations of Pride. There are both grand and small ways to celebrate this season, from the larger-than-life vocal stylings of Flamy Grant to a special one-day miniature diorama exhibition at The Englert Gallery.
Iowa City
- Tuesday, June 4 at 7:30 p.m., Flamy Grant in Concert, St. Andrew Presbyterian
- Saturday, June 8 at 11:00 a.m., The Englert Queer Coffee Social, Englert Lounge
- Wednesday, June 12 at 5 p.m., Pride Pool Party, City Park
- Thursday, June 13 at 6 p.m., Diorama: Social and Political Commentary in Miniature, The Englert Theater Gallery
- Saturday, June 15 from 12–10 p.m., Pride Festival and Parade, Downtown Iowa City
- Saturday, June 15 at 10 p.m., Iowa City Pride Show Afties, The Englert
- Sunday, June 16 from 11 a.m.–2 p.m., Pride Drag Brunch, Big Grove Brewery & Taproom
Open all month: “To My Friends at Horn: Keith Haring and Iowa City,” UI Stanley Museum of Art
Coralville
- Saturday, June 24 at 10 a.m., Pride Patio Party, Hyatt Regency Coralville Hotel & Conference Center
Cedar Rapids
- Saturday, June 8 at 1 p.m., Pride Parade, NewBo/Czech Village
Des Moines
If you are in the DSM area and looking to celebrate your Pride look no further than the Capital City PrideFest. Running the weekend of June 7, the Fest packs more events than we can fit here. Check out the PrideFest site for the full lineup.
- Friday, June 7–Sunday, June 9, Capital City PrideFest, Historic East Village
Quad Cities
The Quad Cities has a bevy of events to offer for the rest of the month. From picnics in Davenport to a LGBTQ+ singles mixer in Waterloo, there are tons of ways to celebrate Pride this season.
Davenport
- Thursday, June 6 at 6 p.m., Teen DIY: Read with Pride Rainbow Needlepoint, Davenport Public Library Fairmount Branch
- Tuesday, June 18 at 6:30 p.m., Read with Pride Book Club, Davenport Public Library
- Sunday, June 30 at 1 p.m., Pride Family Picnic, West Lake Park
Waterloo
- Wednesday, June 5 at 12 a.m., LGBTQ+ Singles Mixer, Lava Lounge / Beer Hall
