Twin Cities Pride 2024 Preview: Which Vendors and Sponsors Will Be at Pride?

Pride Month is a time for celebration, for promoting positive change for the LGBTQ+ community, for talking about queer issues, and of course, it’s a time to remember the fearless members of our community, especially the queer Women of Color who paved the way for the rights so many of us enjoy as a part of the LGBTQ+ community today. But, in a less positive way, Pride is also a time when corporations who don’t otherwise support any LGBTQ+ issues… turn all their logos rainbow in what activists call rainbow-washing. Because of this, it might feel uncomfortable to see corporations at Pride events and festivals, but it really isn’t that simple. 

Twin Cities Pride commented on the fact that they’ve got corporations at their Pride Festival. Rina Heisel (she/her), the Executive Assistant of Twin Cities Pride, says, “Every year, over one weekend in June, the team at Twin Cities Pride constructs a small city of tents, booths, and performance stages meticulously positioned across Loring Park to allow for the most artists, the most makers, the most musicians, the most non-profits, healthcare organizations, and yes—sponsor corporations, to have a space to fulfill their mission, whatever that may be.” 

But just because there are corporate sponsors at the event doesn’t mean that Twin Cities Pride itself is a corporate event. In fact, Heisel points out, “corporate sponsors make up a surprisingly small percentage of booth participants. [While] it may feel like sponsors—such as Wells Fargo, Target, and Delta, to name a few—have a large presence, the percentages for the 2024 Festival break down a bit differently.” This means that even if the most recognizable names are the corporate ones, that does not mean they’re the biggest players at Pride or that the percentage of corporate sponsors even comes close to touching the small businesses and non-profits present. In fact, Otto released the numbers for this year’s Twin Cities Pride Festival booth occupancy, which you can see here: 

• 46% of booths are Business-Level, and out of those, 39% are actually small businesses, like Artists, Makers, Goods providers, Food vendors, etc.
• 27% of booths are Non-Profit Level, which includes Queerspace Collective, Rainbow Health, etc.
• 15% of booths are Sponsors (MN Timberwolves, General Mills, M Health Fairview, etc.) 
• 12% of booths are actually Twin Cities Pride Operations, which means they’re Info booths, First Aid booths, Family Services booths, and more

Even with such a small number of corporations at the Twin Cities Pride festival, some might still be wondering: why? Heisel answers truthfully, “Why, when Pride is a tradition grown out of Stonewall and a history of civil disobedience, are corporate entities allowed into such a sacred space? The short answer: corporate sponsors bring much needed funds, as a festival with FREE admission that attracts over 500,000 attendees is very expensive.” 

She adds, “Remember: Twin Cities Pride is a non-profit organization that aims to break even financially with the festival, it is by no means the cash-cow some believe it to be.” The need for corporate sponsors at Pride boils down to what everything in the United States boils down to essentially: the need for money, which is, in this case, the need for money to provide the crucial services offered by Twin Cities Pride.

 Otto sums it up by saying, “Pride is more than a party. It is a place to find resources to help you live your most authentic life all year round because we deserve that. Festival goers can find resources for both physical and mental health care in the Living Well Park area of our festival. Last year a few attendees who participated in a free cancer screening were alerted to an issue they needed to address immediately. You really can’t put a price on that.” And how can a non-profit provide these sometimes lifesaving services to the community for no cost to them? Corporate sponsorship. 

Otto continues, “Without sponsorship, we can’t continue to grow, and we can’t continue to be free. Last year alone we were able to put over $75,000 back into the community by sponsoring small prides like Golden Valley and POC Pride, sponsor events like Day of the Transgender Child with Transforming families, hold Rainbow Feast which fed 150 people a free holiday meal,  and support our amazing community artists with support of a Prince fashion show.  I am hoping this year it’s an even bigger number that we get to give back to the community. The more I raise the more I get to put back into the community.” And TC Pride provides services to the LGBTQ+ community year-round as well, which is funded by the Pride Festival. 

And while it’s important to know where the money is coming from, it’s also important that the people running Twin Cities Pride are extremely mindful of “keeping the festival emphasis on a weekend of LGBTQ+ joy and authenticity.” That’s why, while there is corporate sponsorship at Pride, it’s only the necessary amount, and not too much. Attendees can rest assured that Twin Cities Pride isn’t a corporate event, and truly, it benefits the community all year round.