As hordes descended on Grant Park for day one of Lollapalooza 2026, a much smaller, quieter, more colorful throng gathered in the elegant Ping Tom Memorial Park just west of Chinatown.
The Sixth Annual Queer Radical Fair bloomed on July 30th by celebrating queer/trans/non-binary youth and their creativity, and came packed with music, DIY fashion, queer spirit, dance, joy and the allure of literature.
As the only Chicago-based queer festival, this “radical” gathering is decidedly different from other summer gatherings, with plenty of young children and teenagers accompanied by their parents, a strong showing from the queer people with disabilities community, and a wealth of literary options on hand. Gerber/Hart Library and Archives had a table right next to the Chicago Public Library which co-sponsored the event along with the Chicago Park District and Night Out in the Park, among others.
A big appeal was a three-part fashion show featuring designs from Chicago Public Library Fit Incubator and Rebirth Warriors mentors, including Sky Cubacub, Morgan Hill, Vieve of Vulpinic and Calla May Bordie. Among the designers were Plantanillo: Veracruz, X-olotl, Fabian’s Brother’s Jeans, Sunny Designs, Bunny, Del Rosario, Amethyst’s Designs, Edcsa, Jaedyn, Vampy, V.O.L. U & ME, Sloop, House of J2, Nik013_io, Roobee-doh, Hailstorm, Sloop and Orange Garments.
TRQPiTECA, La Spacer and Disc Jacqui provided beats while Sage and Zoe from We Rock Chicago and KPOP with K18 Dance provided live performances.
The Queer Radical Fair was made possible by support from BMO Banking, People’s Gas, Allstate Insurance and Exelon and other donors to the Chicago Public Library Foundation.
