The best photos from Sunday’s weather-shortened Chicago Pride Parade

Although cut short by severe thunderstorms, Chicago’s Pride Parade drew an impressive crowd along its four-mile route between Uptown and Lincoln Park on Sunday. This year’s event commemorated the 50th anniversary of the famous uprising following police raids on New York’s Stonewall Inn in 1969, a seminal moment in the LGBTQ rights movement. Lori Lightfoot, Chicago’s first openly gay mayor, presided over the festivities as grand marshall.

While Pride is always a feast for the senses, this year’s edition got an extra pop of color thanks to new rainbow crosswalks along Halsted. As the party unfolded on street level, parade-goers also captured impressive shots of an ominous shelf cloud rolling in overhead. A sudden downpour did little to derail the festivities—at least until officials were forced to delay and ultimately cancel the celebration around 3 p.m.

Hundreds of organizations, clubs, and companies participated in the parade. One of our personal favorites was AIA Chicago’s LGBTQI + Alliance, which marched with oversized models of some of Chicago’s most recognizable skyscrapers including Willis Tower, the building formerly known as the John Hancock Center, and Jeanne Gang’s upcoming Vista Tower.

Here are 12 Instagram posts that captured the energy—and unexpected weather—at this year’s edition of one Chicago’s favorite summertime traditions.