A 3 Day Itinerary
For the second year, Elgin is ringing in its Pride Festival and Parade with a weekend of fun over June 1. Take part in the Elgin Pride Festival and Parade and spend the weekend enjoying the sights, restaurants, bars and nature within the Elgin area.
Day 1
Schedule
Start your trip with the basics, checking in to where you’ll be staying. The Elgin Pride community organizers have negotiated a special rate for our Pride Festival and Parade weekend over June 1 at the Quality Inn Elgin. Check out this page for a Full List of Accommodations in the area. As you are coming into town from I-90, you’ll pass several restaurants, but check out Alexander’s Cafe for lunch. This is one of the stops on our Taco Trail, which includes many area restaurants serving up tasty food. Sign up early in the weekend to get three stamps and be entered into our drawing.
After checking in, enjoy a night on the town with dinner at Old Republic Kitchen & Bar and enjoy live music on their patio as well as American-style cuisine. Or enjoy Italian cuisine at Cafe Roma or the steak, burgers, and wood-fired chicken at Jimmy’s Charhouse. Both restaurants are located just off the I-90 and Randall Road exit. Another unique option is traveling to Plank Road Tap Room for food trucks and drinks.
Day 2
Schedule
All of the festivities for the Elgin Pride Parade and Festival will be located in downtown Elgin, within walking distance of the Milwaukee District West (MD-W) Metra line and the Elgin Transportation Center for PACE buses. More than 4,000 attendees participated in Elgin’s first LGBTQ+ Pride Parade and Festival in 2023. The second annual PRIDE Parade and Festival will take place on Saturday, June 1, from 11 a.m-5 p.m. Events will include a family-friendly LGBTQ+ PRIDE parade followed by a festival with a vendor marketplace, live music, and more! The parade will be in downtown Elgin, and the festival and vendor marketplace will be held in Festival Park.
There is plenty of free parking available throughout downtown. See this file for a list of all the public parking spaces.
Whenever the grumblies hit, the downtown area in Elgin is home to a wonderful restaurant the kids will love. The Blue Box Cafe is a Doctor Who-themed café serving up breakfast and lunch fare. Visit Udon Nomi and Dream Hall 51 for two downtown restaurants that offer dishes for breakfast or lunch.
Explore the Elgin area dining and nightlight experience by starting at Danny’s Pizza, a local favorite pizza place. Sit outside at El Patio and experience a fun and energetic atmosphere, delicious drinks, and amazing authentic food. Or visit Kubo Sushi and Lounge for traditional Japanese culture and food, with a slight Cali twist.
For the 21 and older crowd, visit the Martini Room, a Chicago-style lounge located on Chicago Street in downtown Elgin. This award-winning lounge hosts live music every Friday. On the first Saturday of every month, the Martini Room hosts a drag show organized by Drag is Art that is sure to be fun. Be sure to order your tickets ahead for this special show.
End the evening with a nightcap at Vern’s Tavern, a unique bar located in downtown Elgin, that specializes in vintage-style cocktails, hand-crafted beverages, specialty wines, and of course a good ole fashioned beer.
Day 3
Schedule
After checking out of your hotel, visit Willy & Grace Diner for some wonderful brunch and breakfast food. Or head to the Sweet Berry Cafe for breakfast or lunch. Travel down National Street and park anywhere along Festival Park and walk along one of the many bike trails along the Fox River. Follow our self-guided Art tour and pick up a drink at Viator Coffee Co. or Vive Natural Juice Bar. Sign up for the Coffee Trail and just three visits will allow you to enter your name for our drawing.
Spend some time relaxing at one of the area pools at Wing Park or Lord’s Park. Kids will love the big slides and play equipment along all of the pools. visit the Elgin Centre to spend some time in one of the outdoor pools or our indoor pool to work off the wiggles. For more outdoor adventure, you can stop by Randall Oaks to play a round of golf or visit the Randall Oaks Zoo– a barnyard zoo home to a variety of kid-friendly farm animals for viewing, petting, and feeding. Older kids may enjoy an afternoon at Paintball Explosion. This paintball park hosts open play on the weekends and rental equipment is available. You can also play among old rides and attractions from Santa’s Village Azoozement and Water Park.
There is something for everyone at the end of a long weekend! Make sure to share your photos with us on social media using the #ExploreElgin.
