Name: Community Cookout & Bat N Rouge
Start: 2025-06-01T13:00:00-04:00
End: 2025-06-01T17:00:00-04:00
Location: Riverside Park - Indy Parks and Recreation

Join us for our Community Cookout and Bat ‘n Rouge, a charity softball game in drag. In 1982, the first recorded, formal gathering of LGBTQ+ people occurred at the now closed Essex Hotel on Monument Circle. Many attendees wore masks as they entered the dinner due to fears of being outed in the community. The following year, the first Pride Picnic occurred and had over 500 participants. From there, Pride gatherings grew in both size and frequency in Central Indiana, leading us to Indy Pride 2025.
We honor these heroic leaders who paved the way of acceptance by formally gathering to build a strong and vibrant LGBTQ+ community in Central Indiana. Annually, Pride week celebrates our community in a picnic and softball game to raise funds for local HIV/AIDS service organizations.
The 43rd anniversary of Pride Picnics will occur in 2025 along with the 30th anniversary of Indy Pride. Like many years before, the community will gather, eat, connect, and celebrate Pride. As we continue to learn from history and grow as an organization, the Community Picnic will be renamed to Community Cookout.
This event will take place at Riverside Park on June 1st, followed by the Bat N’ Rouge softball game, hosted by Indy’s Bag Ladies, the oldest HIV/AIDS fundraising group in Indiana.
Schedule of Events
🍔 1:00 pm: Picnic begins
Food will be provided by Indy Pride. There will be vegan and vegetarian options also available!
⭐️ 2:00 pm: Bat N’ Rouge softball game begins!
5:00 – 10:00 PM NEW this year, join us for our Official After Party at Gregs Our Place!
This event is absolutely free to attend and attendees of all ages are welcome!
🎟 Use the “Tickets” button to get the details on your calendar and to let us know how much food to prepare. You can also support Indy Pride here with an optional donation.

Indy Pride is committed to accessibility and inclusion for all members of the community. As part of this commitment, Indy Pride has teamed up with Rhyno Interpreting for American Sign Language (ASL) interpretation for Indy Pride Season Events. If you require ASL interpretation or have any other accessibility needs, please don’t hesitate to reach out accessibility@indypride.org.
Indy Pride is teaming up with QUIT NOW INDIANA to encourage healthy lifestyles for all members of our community! We strive to ensure that all Pride events are tobacco-free and provide resources for tobacco cessation for all. For further support and more resources to help yourself and peers quit tobacco, visit their website at quitnowindiana.com or call 1-800-QUIT NOW.