MILWAUKEE — For the second year in a row, the Milwaukee Pridefest has been canceled due to the coronavirus pandemic.
The festival was supposed to take place from June 3 through June 6 at the Henry W. Maier Festival Grounds.
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“After much consideration, we cannot move forward with planning a June 2021 festival without knowing how and when a vaccine will be distributed throughout our community equally,” said Wes Shaver, Milwaukee Pride, Inc. President, in a press release. “It is still unclear as to how (or if) public gatherings will happen in 2021 and we cannot risk the health and well-being of our community by putting the festival ahead of the people it serves. Now, more than ever, we need to amplify the work of our community partners and increase accessibility and awareness of the many services, resources, and programs available to support LGBTQ+ people.”
The Milwaukee Pride Board of Directors are working with Milwaukee World Festival Inc. on possible alternate dates for later in the year.
“We don’t want people to think there will be no PRIDE this year,” said Luke Olson, PrideFest Festival Producer and VP of Milwaukee Pride, Inc. “We simply want to ensure we’re taking the right steps forward. We hope people trust that our intentions are for the safety of the community, and for efforts for a digital Health & Wellness will continually put access at the forefront of our community efforts year-round.”