Crystal Lake Pride

10/12/2026

🏳️‍🌈 Happy National Coming Out Day! 🏳️‍⚧️

Today, we celebrate the courage, authenticity, and joy of living as your true self. 💖

Coming out is a personal journey, and everyone’s path looks different. Whether you’re out and proud, still discovering yourself, or showing up as an ally, you belong here. Remember, everyone deserves to feel safe, loved, and accepted for exactly who they are.

Crystal Lake Pride celebrates you today and every day. 🌈✨

10/11/2026

It's National Coming Out Day! Do you know why it's celebrated today? HINT: It has to do with a certain quilt from the 1980s... Read the history here. 👀📖
***rhistory

For many, the day holds deep personal and political importance. And its history would preview painful battles for LGBTQ+ people.

10/08/2026

👀👕GHOULS, THIS FAB TEE COULD BE YOURS if you’re among the first 100 to register for our Sat 10/17 Halloween Pub Crawl Fundraiser 🍹! What are you waiting for? See you there!

10/08/2026

🏳️‍🌈the more you know 💫

This is your reminder that le****ns make the world go ‘round.

Happy International Le***an Day! 🧡🤍🩷

***anDay ***an

10/08/2026

Check out PinkNews’s celebration of ***an icons on this ***ansDay.

Happy International Le***an Day! 🧡🤍💖

Today (8 October) is a chance to celebrate le***an joy, love, identity and community and to honour the generations of le****ns who paved the way.

To commemorate the occasion this year, we’ve highlighted some amazing le***an women in the public eye who proudly represent the community.

Read the full story below ⬇️

📷 Getty

10/07/2026

📚 The q***r experience writ large! Check out this year’s National Book Award finalists, with q***r representation in three categories. 🏳️‍🌈🏳️‍⚧️ What are you reading these days? 👀

Three-time National Book Award finalist Edwidge Danticat and debut novelist Morgan Thomas are up for the fiction prize. Nonfiction books cover the prison system and music, and q***r parenthood.

10/07/2026

👻CRAWL STOP SPOTLIGHT ⚾🏈 Goal Line Sports Bar & Grill Inc. ! In their own words…We offer great food with a sports theme, a full menu and a family friendly environment. 🎫GET TICKETS! 🎃https://tinyurl.com/mr2krsrn

10/06/2026

Get ready to creep it real, Crystal Lake! 🎃💅

Crystal Lake Pride is hosting our **FIRST-EVER Halloween Pub Crawl** through Downtown Crystal Lake, and it’s going to be absolute fright-night perfection. Dust off your fiercest costumes, sharpen those fangs, and prepare for a night of spooky spirits, killer looks, and campy chaos.

🎃 **SAVE THE DATE:** Saturday, October 17, 2026

🎟️ **REGISTRATION OPENS:** September 8th

⚡ **LIMITED SPOTS:** Tickets are strictly limited—once they’re ghosted, they’re gone!

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👻 **CALLING ALL SPONSORS!** 👻

Want to help us brew up something legendary? We’re looking for local businesses and sponsors to join the magic. Drop us a line at **[email protected]** to get in on the action!

Tag your ghoulfriends, mark those calendars, and stay tuned for registration links on Sept 8th. You won't want to miss this nightmare on Williams Street! 🪩🦇✨

Clearly Crystal Lake
Downtown Crystal Lake / Main Street
Crystal Lake Chamber of Commerce
Goal Line Sports Bar & Grill Inc.
Rookies Sports Bar & Grill - Crystal Lake
Cantina 52
Duke's Alehouse and Kitchen
Crystal Lake Brewing

06/11/2026

# # ✨ Crystal Lake Pride Was a Total Fever Dream! ✨

Honey, the main stage wasn’t just thumping—it was **vibrating** with pure q***r magic! We are still catching our breath (and finding glitter in places we didn’t know existed) after such an iconic day.

A massive, sparkling shout-out to the incredible talent that graced our stage and kept the energy at a 10/10:

* **JayLeigh** – McHenry County’s very own Trans Rapper, serving bars and brilliance. 🎤
* **Tyler Hall** – The powerhouse lead singer of Libido Funk Circus who brought the house down. 🎸
* **Jay Highland & Rachel Marie Miller** – Our local q***r royalty showing everyone how it’s done. 👑
* **Second City Outlaws** – Chicago’s premier q***r line dancing troop. 🤠
* **Atomic** – Chicago’s original Blondie tribute. Call us? We’re calling it a triumph! 👱‍♀️
* **Moon Money** – Bringing those celestial vibes and impeccable sounds. 🌙

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# # # 💖 What’s Next?

If you thought this was a show-stopper, just wait. We already have some delicious things cooking for our next lineup, and trust us—you aren’t ready for the serving we're preparing. 🍳✨

**Stay tuned, stay fabulous, and keep that Pride glowing!** 🌈🌈🌈

Photo Credits to Mccarrel Photography & jovypix

06/09/2026

Now that the confetti has settled, our hearts are absolutely full. We want to extend the biggest, most heartfelt thank you to Duke's Alehouse & Kitchen for returning for Year 2 as the presenting sponsor of Crystal Lake Pride! 🌟

An event of this scale simply could not have happened without the incredible generosity of sponsors like them. Duke’s proved once again what true allyship looks like—stepping up to ensure our community had a beautiful, safe space to celebrate.

Let’s continue to support those who supported us!

Duke’s Doll Haus on June 20th. Will be an unforgettable night, and we are so grateful to Duke's for hosting such a spectacular event and championing our community every step of the way.