The original owners of Outbound magazine took the bull by the horns and one year after the parade was dropped by PrideFest, Jim and James pulled one together.

Their first parade (2005) lasted a little over 35 minutes, and had approximately 20 - 25 entries.  The parade has continued to grow every year.

For the 2006 parade there were shake ups within the organization as Jim and James had to leave the Milwaukee area, and have since relocated to Pennsylvania.  But the Parade still went off with out a hitch and grew by 25 minutes and almost 10 entries.

In 2007 the organization stood firm despite numerous changes which were out of their hands.  The parade grew in 2007 to include shuttle service provided by the Joseph Pabst Foundation, and to a length of 1 hour and 30 plus minutes and a total of 35 plus units.

In 2008 the Parade had to deal with severe weather but despite that the parade held firm that it is a rain or shine event.  Luckily the sky's cleared about a hour and a half before step-off and the parade went off with out a single hitch!  this year the Parade grew to 48 units and lasted for 1 hour and 40 minutes.  As well as including the Pioneer Drum and Bugle Corps and Color Guard, as our surprise ending.  A marching band of this caliber had never been in the parade and now hopefully they will become a staple.

In 2009 the Milwaukee Pride Parade hit another record with 52 entries in the parade.  While still lasting approximately an hour and a half the parade was full of high caliber entertainment like that from Nut Hut, JC's Pub and Grill, Milwaukee Brewing Co, and Windy City Cowboys.

In 2010 the parade grew even more.  The 2010 Parade had 54 entries and included everyone that we could possibly think of!  People had a great time with the theme of "Twisted Fairy Tales" With great twists like a "Dwarf" Snow white and 7 Go-Go boys and plenty of "damsels" in distress in castle towers. It was a great year with great weather.

In 2011 the parade held its own in spite of a very low economy and had 53 entries with over 5,000 people in attendance.  This was the first year the parade offered free entry to 501(c)3 organizations and the unit list showed that it was the right decision.  The parade also began work on itself going through a massive fiscal restructuring effort which culminated in the decision to begin work on a 501(c)3 arm of the Milwaukee Pride Parade. *As of publishing the application(s) are still being reviewed for approval by the IRS.

Frequently Asked Questions

Here you will find some of the most common questions and answers the Parade committee receives.  If you do not see your questions here please feel free to email any member of the board using the emails listed on the right hand side of this page or by visiting the Contact Us page.

When is the Milwaukee Pride Parade?

The 2012 Milwaukee Pride parade will be held on June 10,2012 with step off at 2:00pm.

What do I need to do if I wanted to be in the Parade?

Just go to our Applications page and download the Unit Application.  All other information is contained in the Rules and Regulations segment of the Application form.

I would like to donate to the Milwaukee Pride Parade but I would like my donation to be tax deductible.  How do I do this?

The Milwaukee Pride Parade is not a 501(c)3 organization and therefore cannot accept tax deductible donations.  If you would like to make your donation tax free please contact the G/L Community Center Trust Fund and inform them that you would like to make a tax free donation to Milwaukee Pride Parade Inc.  You can reach them through their website at www.glcommunitytrustfund.com.

Is the Pride Parade run by PrideFest?

No, they are two separate organizations.  If you would like to view what PrideFest has in store for the pride weekend please go to their website at www.pridefest.com

I would like to volunteer for the Parade but I want to see it  too.  Is this possible.?

Yes it is.  Almost all of the volunteering opportunities occur before and after the parade, so this is not an issue.  If you would like to know more about volunteering please visit our applications page or email the Pride Parade Coordinator.