Metro East Pride Fest set for this weekend in Belleville. Here’s the schedule

This year’s festivities for the annual Metro East Pride Fest take place from noon to 10 p.m. Saturday along the first two blocks of West Main Street in downtown Belleville.

The family-friendly event celebrates diversity, equality and inclusion among all persons on the LGBTQIA spectrum. Metro East Pride Fest is free and open to the public. For information about Metro East Pride of Southwestern Illinois and Pride Fest, visit metroeastpride.org.

The festivities kick off with the national anthem, performed by D.L. Salisbury, Pride Fest Chairperson. The event will include more than 70 information and vendor booths, food vendor booths and food trucks and live entertainment with music, high heel drag races and the Metro East Pride Drag Show finale.

Here’s the entertainment schedule for the day’s events:

Main Stage:

• Noon to 12:30 p.m. — Gateway Men’s Chorus

• 12:30 to 1:30 p.m. — Short Mist

• 1:30-2:30 p.m. — High Heel Drag Race – Sponsors

• 2:30-4 p.m. — Pussy Cat & The Swallow Tails

• 4-7 p.m. — HONEYVOX

• 5:15-5:45 p.m. — Awards and announcements

• 7-8 p.m. — High Heel Drag Race

• 8-10 p.m. — Metro East Pride Drag Show sponsored by Club Escapade and Bubby & Sissys Drag Cabaret

Teen Pride Stage:

• Noon to 1 p.m. — Dance Party with DJ T

• 1-3 p.m. — School of Rock House Band; Belleville Mural Project

• 3-4 p.m. — Amateur Drag Show

• 4-6 p.m. — Stompbox & the Mixtapes

Food vendors will include:

• Abominable Snow Cones

• Bennie’s Pizza

• Boardwalk Waffles and Ice Cream

• Burgers STL

• Casa Maria

• Clara B’s

• Flavored Pickle Bar (Noni’s)

• Kabobs

• Mighty Me

• Soul Burger

• Sugar Fire

• Sweet Side Food Truck

• The Quarter

This story was originally published October 1, 2021 at 5:00 AM.