Editor's Note: The video in this story is from a previous report.
Chicago officials have somewhat reversed course after announcing scaled back plans for the 2024 Chicago Pride Parade.
According to an announcement from Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson's office, the Pride parade this year, scheduled for June 30, will now accept up to 150 entries. The new number of 150 entries is up from a previous announcement, capping the number of entries at 125, but down from the number of entries the parade typically sees.
Johnson's office said the change was made after the city "engaged in a collaborative effort with the Mayor's
Advisory Council on LGBTQ+ Affairs, Chicago Pride Parade organizers, the business community, residents, and multiple City agencies."
"The City is committed to deeper and more robust community engagement so that Pride can continue to honor the LGBTQ+ community's activism, visibility and achievements, and looks forward to staying committed to the LGBTQ+ community and celebrating Pride in 2024 and beyond," the release added.
The plan to reduce the size of the parade -- one of the oldest and largest pride parades in the country -- came last month after the city’s Department of Transportation and Chicago police raised safety and logistical concerns. Organizers said at that time that priority entries will be given to LGBTQ+ organizations, groups, businesses and those with LGBTQ Employee Resource Groups.
"It's really interesting to hear they're ending it earlier for safety, because even at the end of the parade it felt totally fine," said Victoria Lipscomb who participated in the parade last year.
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"I think it’s good," said Dakota Trenkemp, who attended the parade last year. "The parade is like three to four hours long normally, at least the past two years that I've gone, so it kinda leads to a lot of issues with people being outside for that long for summer."
In addition to the number of entries being capped, the parade this year will step off an hour earlier, at 11 a.m., instead of noon. The parade route will also be shortened by at least six to seven blocks, according to organizers.
"I look at it kinda like optimizing versus downsizing: optimizing the parade to really focus on us and organizations," said Terrence Chappell, principal of Chappell Communications Group.
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The parade, scheduled for Sunday, June 30, is expected to attract more than a million people through Uptown, Lakeview and Lincoln Park neighborhoods, the same week as Fourth of July and the weekend before NASCAR's Chicago Street Race.
"Of course safety is the most important, but if they're still going to get a million people out here, that's still a million people. It doesn’t matter if it's an extra 45 minutes or not," said Michael Hornick, owner of The Chicago Diner near Roscoe and Halsted.
While some people are disappointed, others tell NBC 5 they’re ready for the celebration.
"Since it’s still happening, [and] I think that the big part," said Lipscomb. "It’s still going on; the parade is happening; we still get to celebrate, and that's the big deal."
Despite the changes, the executive director of the Northalsted Business Alliance said they're excited for the parade this summer. He told NBC Chicago the alliance is currently looking for a space to host a post-parade celebration similar to a block party.
