Iowa City Today

Iowa City’s 50th Annual Gay Pride Parade is cancelled in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic. 

Iowa City Pride Board of Directors met on April 19 and they decided to cancel the event, which up until that time, was one of the few remaining for the summer.

It was scheduled for June 19 and 20, and it was ultimately cancelled. The announcement was made in a Facebook post on April 20. 

"As our theme states 'Our Pride We Will Maintain' we will continue to support our community and come up with new and creative ways to celebrate pride with you. Pride is a celebration we can do all year long," the Facebook post read.

Pride president Anthony Sivanthaphanith said safety is a priority, according to the Iowa City Press. He said the board looks forward to planning more events in creative ways or joining other pride organizations for the Virtual Global Pride June 27. 

People were invited to the virtual pride event scheduled on June 19 and 20. 

Other summer events are anticipated to be affected by the COVID-19 crisis. One of these is the Iowa Summer Arts Festival, which takes place in early June.

“As far as the Iowa Arts Festival, we will make a decision on how to proceed by early May," said executive director of Summer of the Arts, Lisa Barnes, according to the Iowa City Press.

Widespread cancellations of festivals and gatherings are happening all over the world due to COVID-19. In Iowa, many other popular events have been cancelled.

The Mission Street Festival, normally held in early April, is rescheduled for Sept. 17, 18 and 19, according to the Iowa City Press.