Big Gay Pride Market

Big Gay Pride Market is BACK!

Join us May 31 & June 1 from 11am-3pm on Monument Circle for two days of queer joy, radical visibility, and creative magic!

Each day features a unique lineup of 60 queer artists & makers, DJs, and a special guest performance on Saturday at 1pm from Geeks & Grooves: Pride of Indy Bands’ sax-iest ensemble!

Experience their fun and distinctive saxophone takes on your favorite pop hits and video game soundtracks, spanning from retro to today’s best!

At Big Gay Pride, we’re not just gathering-we’re continuing a legacy. In 1984, the first major queer public gathering in Indianapolis happened right here on Monument Circle, led by the “Gay Knights on the Circle.” Their protests demanded visibility, safety, and justice for our community. Today, we return to this same space-not in protest, but in celebration. 40 years later, We’re continuing their fight for visibility. Every time we return to Monument Circle, we’re making it clear—we won’t be erased.

“Imagination is one of the most powerful modes of resistance that oppressed and exploited folks can do and use.” — bell hooks

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To celebrate Pride, Indy Gay Market has been invited to launch Big Car Collaborative’s SPARK on the Circle event series. We want to recognize the historic meaning behind setting up our grassroots pop-up market in this space especially due to its unique history for the Indianapolis community.

Some history:
“In 1984, police harassment and surveillance of gay men in Indianapolis spurred hundreds to gather at Monument Circle in a show of solidarity against discrimination. It was the first large public gathering of queer individuals in the state that some dubbed ‘The Gay Knights on the Circle.’”

This year marks the 40th anniversary of this first pride gathering and we are so proud to have Indy Gay Market occupy this space.

• Saturday, May 31st, 11:00am-3:00pm
• Sunday, June 1st, 11:00am-3:00pm

SPARK is a partnership with Big Car Collaborative, Downtown Indy, Inc., the City of Indianapolis Department of Metropolitan Development with support from the Indiana War Memorials Commission. It is a continuation of Big Car’s work in 2023, last year, and in 2015 on the Circle.

At Big Car, we approach our work at the Circle as a site- and community-specific socially engaged art and creative placemaking project. The SPARK on the Circle pop-up park was collaboratively designed with Indianapolis-based Merritt Chase to be a restorative public place where people of all walks of life can relax, play, socialize, and engage with art and artists in the heart of our city.