It all started with a walk to protest the Stonewall riots of 1970. Today it is one of the biggest Pride festivals in the country, if not the world. What is? It is the Chicago Pride Festival and it takes place every year on the last weekend of June. While there are events throughout the year, the Festival is a two-day affair that ends with a massive parade through the Halsted Strip. You may think you’ve seen a great parade before, but when attendance is measured in the hundreds of thousands, you may have to rethink. There are so many people who attend this parade that the course has had to be modified several times throughout its history to accommodate everyone properly. That’s a parade!

Sure, other towns and cities have Pride events, but if you want to make it to the biggest and be a part of the action but don’t live near Chicago, what do you do? Well, you can fly on a commercial flight and have long waits at the airport, go through tight security checks, and then get stuck on a crowded plane. Or you can choose to make the weekend shine from start to finish and charter a plane.

Now I know what you’re thinking: “that will be too expensive!” but you might be surprised at how reasonable chartering a plane can be. And think about the advantages. You can leave whenever you want, not when the airline says. You know your luggage will arrive with you since you never leave it with strangers on the airline, and best of all, it’s a comfortable flight, plus plenty of arm, shoulder, head and leg room. You can even configure the booth however you like, placing the chairs in rows or in conversation groups.

Food and of course toilets on board are the norm and there is plenty of in-flight entertainment too. You will have your own pilot and you may be able to land at a smaller airport closer to your destination than you would with commercial flights.

So if you’re headed to Chicago Pride and want to enjoy the Pride music, exhibits, food, drinks, parade and fun, what are you waiting for? Consider chartering that plane ASAP! By the way, there is no attendance fee for Pride Chicago, but the atmosphere is priceless!