Rochester Pride Can’t Be Contained to One Day

There’s something that Lori Milanowski, vice chair of the Rochester Pride Board of Directors, doesn’t like about Rochester Pride: it only lasts one day.

“Rochester Pride is unfortunately one day of the year,” Milanowski says. “But we are working really hard to grow Rochester Pride into a year-round community. But it is one day to connect with your community, both community members and supportive organizations, businesses, artists, folks who want to create moments of queer joy, at least for that five-hour chunk of time.”

This year, that day is May 16, when Rochester Pride will take place from noon to 5 p.m. at Soldiers Field Park in Rochester, Minn. Although Milanowski laments that’s all the time they have, for those five hours, the park will be packed with art, entertainment, valuable resources and, most importantly, community. 

“So this year’s focus in particular, our slogan is ‘Connecting Community,’” Milanowski shares. “It was really making sure that our vendors and our artists and everyone who’s going to be taking part are really great community members and community partners.”

One new way that Rochester Pride will be connecting community this year is through its True Self Studio, a gender-affirming pop-up closet and studio. It combines gender-affirming clothing and accessories with gender-affirming services, and it will all be free for the community to use, according to Milanowski. 

Those services will include gender-affirming haircuts from a local queer hairstylist, queer-affirming health services including basic testing and connections to relevant providers, and hopefully, although not confirmed at time of writing, legal services including assistance with changing legal names and gender markers.

All of these resources will be available at Soldiers Field Park on May 16. Milanowski says she hopes that’s just the beginning, though, as Rochester Pride aspires to find a permanent location for True Self Studio in the future. 

True Self Studio isn’t the only new feature of Rochester Pride this year, though. They’ve also partnered with nonprofit MNeurodivergent to add a sensory tent for those who are looking for a place to escape what can otherwise be an overwhelming sensory environment. The Landing MN, which provides services to people facing homelessness, is another organization joining what Milanowski describes as “a really strong network of nonprofits that service the community” at the festival this year.

In addition to nonprofits, there are new vendors, too, including Sinner Sota, which offers dirty sodas and energy drinks. 

Along with all of the new features this year, Rochester Pride’s event stage will continue to anchor the festival. Within the five-hour festival, the stage will see 10 performances, including two bands, drag storytime, an improv show, a clown performance and a puppy parade, all accompanied by ASL interpreters.

Even with all of the exciting offerings packed into Rochester Pride, Milanowski still laments that they only get one day. However, that isn’t strictly true! There are also several events before and after the festival, extending the moments of queer joy Milanowski spoke of. 

Those events will begin with Rochester Rainbow Choir’s pancake breakfast and performance fundraiser at nearby Zumbro Lutheran Church the morning of the festival. Then, at 6:30 p.m., after the festival concludes, national parks expert Mikah Meyer will be showing four of his short films and providing behind-the-scenes commentary at Tyrol Ski Shop. Finally, at 2 p.m. on May 17, the History Center of Olmsted County is hosting a screening of Mark Wojahn’s documentary on Patrick Scully, “The Dance Is Not Over,” accompanied by a Q&A with Scully himself. 

Rochester Pride is also starting their work to connect community year-round through their Community Outreach & Engagement committee, which is new this year. The committee, which Milanowski sits on, hosts quarterly events, like their recent zine creation event honoring Trans Day of Visibility, and listens to the local community to learn and try to address their needs.

That outreach isn’t limited to Rochester, either. Milanowski says that Rochester Pride offers a different experience from Twin Cities Pride, and encourages people from the Twin Cities and elsewhere to check it out themselves. 

“I do think that Rochester Pride has a little bit different of a vibe, especially from Twin Cities Pride,” Milanowski says. “We’re very focused on activities, and everything’s in a very central location, so at any one point you can know what’s happening in the festival.”

It’s also the first Pride of the year in Minnesota, which could entice anyone who just doesn’t want to wait any longer for Pride season to get started. Milanowski is among those who are very ready for it to kick off.

“I am excited to see the community out and about,” Milanowski says. “I know, at least speaking for myself personally, these first three-and-a-half months of 2026 have been really rough with everything that is going on in the world, all the attacks that are happening on our queer community. It’s been a lot to process.”

“And I know for me, one of the bright lights in all this has been creating these opportunities to get together with folks and just talk about what’s happening, or even better, find outlets for expressing all of the feelings with folks who understand what you’re feeling,” Milanowski concludes. “And so I really see this year’s Pride as that opportunity to just say, ‘We’re still here.’ Not to be cheesy, but, ‘We’re here, we’re queer, we’re not going anywhere,’ and just to exist in joy together, for, even if it’s just five hours, one afternoon. It’s really a space to grow stronger together.”

Rochester Pride
May 16, noon to 5 p.m.
Soldiers Field Park, Rochester, Minn.
rochmnpride.org