Alternative events, culture and news for all of Illinois and Iowa.
Rainbow Cafe and RCHW melding and moving, zine workshop Tuesday, drag ball Saturday: Southern Illinois 10-5-26
Check out a free zine workshop Tuesday. Celebrate a new headquarters Friday with Rainbow Cafe LGBTQ+ Community Center and its health clinic. Or learn about Saturday’s first-ever “10s Across the Board” ball. It’s the latest regional briefs for Southern Illinois.
Uniting Pride calls for volunteers, Save Our Sisters survey, New Date with a Dog in Lincoln, new girls’ flag football: Central Illinois 10-5-26
Learn about the Save Our Sisters effort for Black females in the Peoria area. Explore volunteering for Champaign-Urbana PrideFest. Join a new “Date with a Dog” program in Lincoln. Read about the growth of girls flag football in Blono. It’s all in Central Illinois briefs for 10-5-26.
Five diverse events this weekend featuring performance, sports, clothes giveaway, community, and one event cancelled: Quad Cities 9-18-26
Check out six diverse events MainStream is highlighting for this weekend: a cultural festival, performance fundraiser, roller derby, and bar hop for the unhoused Saturday, and a park lunch and giveaway of kids’ winter coats and accessories Sunday. Check out Quad Cities Briefs for 9-18-26.
Dubuque pet vaccine clinic, Tipton garage sale for animals, BTown Pride costume drive, “Black in the Upper Mississippi” documentary: Eastern Iowa 9-28-26
Check out two events to help animals this weekend: a vaccine clinic in Dubuque, and a three-day garage sale in Tipton. Plus, BTownn Pride puts out a call for Halloween costume donations, and a documentary about being Black in Dubuque is getting attention around Iowa. Check out Eastern Iowa briefs for 9-28-26.
Joliet PrideFest postponed a week, Reeling LGBTQ+ Film Festival in Chicago, Naper Pride focuses on music: Chicagoland 9-18-26
The big annual Joliet PrideFest is postponed from tomorrow to Sept. 26, while Chicago’s Reeling LGBTQ+ International Film Festival offers 40 full-length and short films through Sept. 27. Meanwhile, Naper Pride reminds its community that while there’s no Naper Pride Fest this year, there’s a new choir and band. Check out Chicagoland Briefs for 9-18-26.
Queer and trans’ artists sought, Howl on Wheels rallies bikers for animals, Blazing Saddle defies Mr. Leather: Central Iowa 9-16-26
Des Moines’ The Blazing Saddle helps inspire a change by International Mr. Leather. The Des Moines Pride Center seeks queer and transgender artists to apply for Queer Art Now! And bikers are invited to an all-day fundraiser for the Animal Rescue League of Iowa that involves five bars in five central Iowa communities. Check out Central Iowa briefs for 9-16-26.
Rockford schools focus on absent students, Galena offers Tween Time, Woodstock offers spiritual book club: Northern Illinois 9-14-26
Kids in grades four to six are invited to learn and play every Tuesday after school in Galena. Rockford Public Schools struggle with chronically absent students and will take up the topic Tuesday. The international best-seller “The Alchemist” is the focus of Friday’s Spiritual Book Club online and at Unity Spiritual Center of Woodstock. Check out Northern Illinois Briefs for 9-14-26.
Nebraska Black Pride this weekend, Kings & Queens closing, Lindsay leads Western Iowa Tech: Western Iowa Dailies for 8-22-26
Nebraska Black Pride hosts the Black Opulence Ball tonight featuring comedienne Amber Ruffin, and a Family BBQ tomorrow. Western Iowa’s only LGBTQ+ bar, Kings & Queens, is closing. And Terry Lindsay brings vast experience as the new president of Western Iowa Tech Community College. It’s Western Iowa Dailies for 8-22-26.
More To the Story: Clock Inc. financial crisis started years ago and persists despite strong grant funding, constant fundraising
Clock Inc. triggered a new fundraising flurry and widespread media coverage when it announced it had lost grant funding because of the Trump administration and might close in August without more donations. A look at public records shows the Quad Cities LGBTQ+ nonprofit had one of its best grant years ever in 2025, has been in financial crisis since 2024 and began losing revenue in 2023 during the Biden administration.
