BLOOMINGTON — From top national drag performers, to an American Idol top 3, to choruses of several kinds and 110 vendors, the B-N PrideFest takes place this evening a few hours after the day’s rainfall clears away.
Founded eight years ago as a way to honor The Bistro in downtown Bloomington, the B-N PrideFest is now among Illinois’ larger annual events and features more than a dozen performers on two stages in a mix of drag, live original, choral performers. The fest’s headliner is Normal native Leah Marlene, whose country charm earned her third-place on American Idol just three years ago.
Above, clockwise from top left: Auntie Heroine, performing 8:30 p.m.; the B-N PrideFest logo; American Idol 2022 Top 3 Leah Marlene, performing at 7 p.m.; the ShareAlike Trio; Mangles Music; and The Penguin Project logo.
Marlene, performing at her first-ever Pride event, takes the stage just before Auntie Heroine, the Boulet Bros. drag horror sensation from Rockford, Ill., who has also appeared this season at Pride in the Quad Cities and Galena Pride.
Other entertainment for the day features musicians Kate Herald and Mangles Music, and drag performers that include Ava, Foxie and Celexa Sharealike along with their house leader Sharon Sharealike; and many more.
Two choirs will perform: the new B-N PrideFest Choir, and the Penguin Project choir, featuring youth with disabilities.
The variety of performers is especially important for the youth of today, says B-N committee member Leslie Adams. “Representation is so important, crucial… especially for our young folks that go to Pridefest. And to see someone like YOU in the spotlight, has an impact.”
You can find detailed profiles of all the performers at the B-N PrideFest Facebook page.
Big fest with a ‘small town,’ ‘farmers’ market’ feel
The festival’s quaint feel, while growing to be among Illinois’ largest Pride events, is what committee members mosted noted in a round-up of email interviews.
“We’re just trying to quaintly be ourselves,” says committee member Faust Nobis, who describes the festival’s ambience as a “farmer’s market” vibe. Fellow committee member Erich Nobis says that feel reflects the grass-roots way B-N PrideFest first came to be.
It started as a tribute to The Bistro, but “before we’d even thought of planning for year two,” he said, “we’d been contacted by innumerable local churches, nonprofits, outreach programs, and businesses expressing their interest in the following year.”
Nobiss is also fond of how each annual festival begins, with a “blessing.” “To me, it represents the end of a long season of work, the beginning of a long day of work, and the satisfaction of creating a safe space for so many in our community.”
To accommodate the anticipated heat, the B-N group will provide a cooling bus, says committee member Dave Bentlin. He also emphasized that a professional first aid station will be available.
Bentlin is also proud of the festival’s tradition of featuring LGBTQ+ affirming elected officials and community leaders, and noted increased signage throughout the event this year.
