What to Expect: Pride 2025

Admission is FREE for the 2025 Carver County Pride Festival and we can't wait to see you there!

Where: Carver County Fairgrounds, 501 W. 3rd Street, Waconia

When: 11:00 a.m. - 8:00 p.m.

What to Expect

A festival is like a small town and can be as big as one! Festivals bring people together to celebrate and have fun. The 2025 Carver County Pride Festival is a FAMILY-FRIENDLY event. At Carver County Pride, our mission is to cultivate an inclusive, safe, and sustainable community for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer/questioning, intersex, asexual, Two Spirit, plus (LGBTQIA2S+) and Carver County Community Members. In alignment with our mission, the festival is a space to create an inclusive, safe, and sustainable community for LGBTQIA2S+ and Carver County Community Members!

Within the festival, we should all try to be a friendly face in the crowd. Whether you are going alone, with one friend, or in a big crew, everyone will have a better time if we take care of each other! 

Policies & Procedures

• Service dogs welcome.

• Guns are banned on these premises.

• All attendees are asked to respect the event as a safe place for our community and will have zero tolerance for any hate / racist / phobic behaviors or items (such as t-shirts, signage, bumper stickers, hats, etc.)

• Photos and Videos taken at this event: By entering and by your presence at the Carver County Pride Festival, you consent to be photographed, filmed and/or otherwise recorded. Your entry constitutes your consent to such photography, filming, and/or recording and to use any, in any and all media throughout the universe in perpetuity, of your appearance, voice, and name for the purpose of marketing THIS EVENT. You understand that all photography, filming and/or recording will be done in reliance on this consent given by you by entering the Festival grounds. 

  • • Red lanyards will be available to borrow at the main entrance and entertainment building for those wishing to not be photographed. The Väter Photo team (official event photographers) will make their best effort to not capture identifying features of individuals wearing red lanyards. Please note that photos may be taken from behind or afar (drone footage) where an individual wearing a red lanyard is in the photo or video. 

    • Please feel free to approach the Väter Photo team if you've got a special photo request or would like to be excluded from a photo. 

Facilities

• Please refer to the map below. Printed maps will be available at the Main Entrance Info Booth.

• A Medical Tent is available, if needed.

• ADA Parking is available to the rear of the Main Stage, Entertainment building. Please let a parking attendant know if you need ADA Parking.

• An Escape Space, hosted by Ellie Mental Health, is available to the north of the Main Stage/Entertainment Building. They will have earplugs, headphones, a quiet space to rest, fidgets, sensory activities, and Occupational Therapists on hand to assist/discuss with festival goers.

• Restrooms are located at the south end of the map as well as two pods of Biffs throughout the venue. We welcome festival-goers to use the restroom that best aligns with your gender identity.