The Sousa Archives’ One Community Together through Music returns this fall as part of the 2023 Uniting Pride of Champaign County celebration. The Champaign-Urbana Pride Fest celebrates LGBTQ+ pride in our local community. The 2023 CU Pride Parade will step off on September 30 at 2:30pm in Campustown and will make its way to downtown Urbana to join the celebration’s vendors, activities, art, and community organizations sharing information.
This year’s One Community Together (OCT) stage will provide music performances by several local music ensembles starting at 1pm. The OCT stage will be located at the intersection of Urbana’s Broadway and Main Streets. Children’s educational activities sponsored by the Champaign County Museums Network will be part of this year’s OCT programming.
Music Performances
1:00-1:45 — Amasong
2:00-2:45 — Bow-dacious String Band and the Banks Bridgewater Lewis Music Ensemble
3:00-3:45 — Sixth Street Brass Band
4:00-4:45 — Marching Illini in concert
Children’s Activities
1:00-3:00 — Bumble Bee Ornaments for All Ages – Color your world with bumble bees and discover the sweet legacy of one of nature’s most important pollinators. Sponsored by the Pollinatarium.
1:00-3:00 — Amazing Rainbow Adventures – Explore the colorful magic of rainbows and solar telescopes and discover the sun’s many wonders in the sky. Sponsored by the William Staerkel Planetarium.
3:00-5:00 — Playful Dance – Explore Beverly Blossom’s colorful dance styles and boogie to the beat of the music from the One Community Together stage! Sponsored by the Distributed Museum
3:00-5:00 — Toys of the 19th Century Prairie – Try your hand at some toys and games of the past from the Champaign County Forest Preserves’ Museum and Education Department! Sponsored by the Museum of the Grand Prairie.
3:00-5:00 — Watercolors and Rainbows – Celebrate the colors of the rainbow and show your pride with young artists coloring our local community with watercolor pencils and other materials. Sponsored by the Giertz Gallery and Krannert Art Museum.
All of the children’s activities and music programs are Free and open to the general public. So why not get your weekend off to a great start with some wonderful music that supports our community together. For further information about these performances call 217-333-4577 or email schwrtzs@illinois.edu. For further information about the 2023 Pride Fest visit https://www.unitingpride.org/pridefest-2023.html.