Sunday, September 27th, 2026
10 am to 6 pm
Riis Park, Chicago
” ‘As a wizard, I must tell you that words have power.’
‘As a politician, I must tell you I already know.’ ”
– Terry Pratchett – Unseen Academicals
Magic has long been used as a tool of liberation and empowerment. The ability to focus the mind and direct your intentions can bring about life-changing results, not only for yourself but also for the community and world around you. Nearly every day, we face direct threats to our personal and collective liberties. These threats have been increasing in violence, frequency, and scope faster than our social and political systems can counteract them. History has shown that freedom is never given by the ruling class and must be fought for constantly by those who cherish it. The freedom to define ourselves through our choices, even in the most dire situations, is uniquely human and quintessentially magical. The thoughts and words that we focus on weave magical spells to create the reality we live in. Individual thoughts affect individual worlds, while collective thoughts shape collective reality.
It is in this collective spirit that we announce our theme for this year. “Freedom Through Magic” speaks to the power we have to liberate our minds and hearts from the forces that seek to keep us small and afraid. We call upon our community to come together and magnify our personal energies towards the common goals of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. We will once again be asking our workshop teachers and ritual leaders to keep this theme in mind as they shape thier presentations.
Every member of our community brings a unique perspective, power, and passion, and we want to know how you use your magical practice to support and strengthen your freedom. Binding, healing, cursing, and blessing all contribute to our community’s power. Please join us on Sunday, September 27th, 2026, at Riis Park in Chicago to break free of the chains that have held you back from your highest potential. There is street parking as well as parking lots on either end of the park. The park is accessible via the #86 and #74 CTA bus lines and is a short walk from the Galewood Metra station.
Applications are now open for workshops, vendors, entertainers, and volunteers. Submit yours today!
As we prepare for the event, we will be working on fundraising efforts with a goal of $10,000. This will fully fund this year’s event and provide us with a seed fund for next year. Once again, we will be offering sponsorship opportunities, as well as GCPP and event merchandise on our website. All proceeds from sponsorships and merchandise purchases go directly to the event. Donations to Greater Chicagoland Pagan Pride are tax-deductible, as we are a recognized 501c3 charity.
All are welcome to attend this family-friendly event. Admission, as always, is a donation of non-perishable food, that will be collected and delivered to Nourishing Hope, to help support the food insecure members of the Chicago community. Applications are now open for vendors, volunteers, workshop leaders, and entertainers. We are once again offering the opportunity to sponsor the event at various levels, as well. Please check out the Sponsorships and Store page for more details!
