Last fall brought the announcement that the Annual Pride Parade would begin at Broadway & Montrose in June, 2012 -- farther north than the Parade had stretched before. Staff from the Center on Halsted, Uptown United, and Ald. James Cappleman's 46th Ward joined together to brainstorm about how to welcome the southernmost section of Uptown to the Pride Parade.

Designers from the Center worked with Uptown United on an appealing streetpole banner design. Uptown United in conjunction with Uptown Business Partners and funding from Uptown SSA#34 have developed a website that will provide details about the Annual Pride Parade as well as other LGBT Pride Month events -- such as Chicago Dyke March and Montrose Rocks fest. The UptownProud.org site will offer updated information on Parade routes and other Pride-related links, and a listing of local offerings from bars, restaurants, services, retailers in celebration of June's Pride Month.

Special thanks to Chris Jessup, Aide to Ald. Cappleman, Brian Richardson of the Center on Halsted, and Uptown's own Your Plan Co. for web design assistance.

For more info, visit UptownProud.org or CenterOnHalsted.org