Chicago Reader Inaugural Pride Block Party
with Marz Community Brewing, Presented by Nue Vodka
Sunday, June 23, 2019, 1-9 p.m.
3630 South Iron Street, Chicago
$10 | all ages; kids under 10 free | wheelchair accessible 

CHICAGO - The Chicago Reader celebrated the city’s rich and diverse 50 years of honoring LGBTQ+ community legacy at its first-ever all-day, all-ages block party in partnership with Marz Community Brewing.

Sam Kirk was commissioned to design the graphic for the Reader Pride event, which would be printed on posters, merchandise, and stage banners. The art depicts iconography from Chicago and its south and west sides in particular. The women in the foreground are inspired by Chicago lesbian trailblazers and activists the late Vernita Gray and journalist Tracy Baim.

A partnership with Marz Brewery provided an extension to print the design on limited edition GAY IPA cans for the event and Pride Month. Sales from a special Sam Kirk-designed can provided additional donation to LGBTQ south side organizations: Brave Space Alliance, Affinity Community Services and Chicago Black Gay Men’s Caucus.

The READER Inaugural Block Party featured an array of artists, organizations, and small businesses. The intergenerational, cross-community event honored the people doing the work in Chicago to amplify LGBTQ+ people and stories, as well as pay homage to Chicago’s queer history and the icons who made it possible. Twenty-five percent of the day’s ticket sales were donated to Chicago organizations whose missions include supporting LGBTQ communities: Brave Space Alliance, Affinity Community Services, and Chicago Black Gay Men’s Caucus. Association of Latinxs Motivating Action, Youth Empowerment Performance Project, Equality Illinois, and The Legacy Project.

Visitors we also able to peruse LGBTQ+ historical archives from The Legacy Project and the Reader's own Publisher Tracy Baim's collection from over 35 years of LGBTQ+ community documentation.