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Bloomington hosts 13th annual Pridefest celebration

WFIU | By George Hale
Published August 23, 2026 at 10:40 PM EDT
The annual event raises money for LGBTQ+ programing throughout the year.
George Hale
/
WFIU/WTIU News
The annual event raises money for LGBTQ+ programing throughout the year.

Bloomington hosted its 13th Pridefest over the weekend.

The downtown event Saturday featured music from local DJs, outdoor drag shows and a professional wrestling stage.

Read more: Pridefest set to take place this weekend

The national nonprofit Free Mom Hugs set up a tent on Kirkwood Avenue.

“We come out to Pride events or any other event where we are needed or wanted. And our goal is to spread love, support, education and give out hugs," state chapter leader Melanie Odgers said.

The annual event, hosted by Bloomington Pride in August, raises money for LGBTQ+ programming throughout the year.
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George Hale
George Hale is a Multi-Media Journalist at Indiana Public Media. He previously worked as an Investigative Reporter for NPR’s northeast Texas member station KETR. Hale has reported from the West Bank and Gaza, Israel, Jordan and Egypt.
See stories by George Hale
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