CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa — A parade that advocates tried for years to offer in Cedar Rapids finally came to fruition.
More than 30 entries participated in the inaugural Pride Parade on Saturday, June 4, 2022, with an estimated 3,000 spectators lining Third Street in southeast Cedar Rapids through New Bohemia, after the threat of rain had passed.
Parade units included businesses, a student group from Linn-Mar, the National Gay Pilots Association and other supporters.
Andrew Harrison, who served as grand marshal, said the city had turned down requests in previous years to hold a pride parade, and CR Pride President Corey Jacobson said a planned parade in 2020 was canceled due to the pandemic.
The group’s mission is to create opportunities for awareness, inclusivity and visibility of LGBTQIA+ individuals within the community.
“This community’s been asking for this for years,” Jacobson said, noting that the first Cedar Rapids pride festival was held in 1995. “Just to see the community response; it’s been overwhelming.”
The Pride Festival will be held July 9 in New Bohemia.
See photos from this year’s St. Patrick’s Day Parade in Cedar Rapids and more from the inaugural Cedar Rapids Pride Parade, below:
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