Several hundred people participated in this year’s Crystal Lake Pride Walk and Social on Sunday.

The walk stepped off about 11 a.m. near Williams Street and Crystal Lake Avenue before looping around Woodstock Street to Grant Street before ending at the Brink Street parking lot, where a social was held Sunday afternoon.

Before the walk, Crystal Lake Mayor Haig Haleblian read a proclamation declaring June LGBTQ Pride Month in Crystal Lake.

After Haleblian read a line calling for residents to work to eliminate prejudice everywhere it exists, the crowd applauded.

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Jayleigh performs during the Crystal Lake Pride Walk & Social Sunday, June 7, 2026. (Michelle Meyer)

“Absolutely, absolutely,” the mayor said. “We got to keep up the fight.”

Among the walk participants were Crystal Lake residents Jeff and Taylor Haugen. They said it was their first time at the walk but their third time attending Crystal Lake Pride.

Jeff Haugen praised the community that he said welcomes everyone, commenting on the number of churches in attendance – often not what people expect to see at Pride festivals.

“It’s cool to see them,” he said.

Attendee Sandra Landi said the crowd was getting bigger and there are more booths than in the past.

Last year, Sandra Landi and her wife, Stefanie Landi, got connected with the First Congregational Church of Crystal Lake at Crystal Lake Pride. This year, Sandra Landi said “it’s been great” volunteering with the church, and so many random people have shown their love and support.

Stefanie Landi said she was very happy that Crystal Lake has a Pride celebration, and people were happy and nice. The festival was “very welcoming.”

The Rev. Scott Zaucha, the pastor at St. Mary’s Episcopal Church in Crystal Lake and St. Ann’s Episcopal Church in Woodstock, said everyone was having a great time and the event has been great.

“It’s a good vibe,” Zaucha said.

Sunday’s high was near 80 degrees, according to the National Weather Service. Zaucha’s congregation brought 600 water bottles to hand out at Pride. Zaucha said about half the bottles were gone by about noon.

Andrew Williams was among those who participated in the walk. Williams brought a giant Pride flag to Sunday’s festivities.

“You got to bring a flag to Pride,” Williams said, adding he bought his flag online after seeing one at Chicago Pride.

“Everybody loves it,” Williams said of people’s reactions to the flag.

However, several counterprotestors were at the Crystal Lake Pride social, and one of the performers said there was a group trying to create “discourse” and asked attendees to ignore them.

Crystal Lake Pride posted on Facebook on Sunday afternoon that “if there wasn’t haters, we wouldn’t need a pride.”

The Crystal Lake Pride Walk and Social first took place in 2024, making Sunday the third annual Pride celebration in downtown Crystal Lake. But before this year’s Pride festivities, the Crystal Lake Pride organization became a nonprofit.

Crystal Lake Pride is not the only Pride event in McHenry County this June. Woodstock PrideFest runs June 12 to 14 in Woodstock.