After summer heat delay, Minnesota Disability Pride Festival set for Sept. 17

The fourth annual Disability Pride Festival gets underway at the Minnesota State Capitol in St. Paul on Sept. 17, following a July postponement due to extreme heat warnings and wildfire smoke. Hosted by Advocating Change Together (ACT), the festival honors the history, culture, and contributions of people with disabilities.

Disability Pride Month is traditionally recognized in July to mark the anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), signed into law on July 26, 1990. While the landmark civil rights law protects people with disabilities in employment, education, transportation, and public accommodations, advocates emphasize that significant work remains to achieve true inclusion.

The image depicts a large white tent set up on a lawn in front of the domed state capitol building. Large letters in the foreground spell "DISABILITY PRIDE" in white and rainbow colors. — Disability Pride tent in front of the Minnesota State Capitol.

Jennifer Walton, executive director of ACT, said the decision to delay the event was difficult but necessary.

“Every partner, every vendor, and our community supported the decision to postpone,” Walton said. “Our priority is keeping people safe. In July, we were dealing with back-to-back days over 90 degrees, and as Minnesotans, we simply aren’t acclimated to that kind of heat.”

Photo of a woman speaking at a microphone — ACT Executive Director Jennifer Walton addressed the crowd at last year’s Disability Pride event.

Walton is eager for the September gathering and highlighted the deeper meaning behind the celebration.

“The disability community has spent generations being told we are broken,” Walton said. “The disability pride movement is about proclaiming, ‘I’m a whole, complete person. I am disabled, and I do not need to be fixed or cured. I’m proud of who I am, and that includes my disability.’ We can all join together and celebrate.”

Attendance at the festival has steadily grown each year, with organizers expecting roughly 1,000 attendees for this year’s event. The festival will feature around 50 vendors, self-advocate speakers, artists, live music, food trucks, face painters, and family-friendly activities.

Walton emphasized that community connection is vital, particularly as disabled individuals navigate reductions in essential services and programs.

“We’re existing in a space that is incredibly uncertain, and we need to uplift the voices of disabled leaders and self-advocates,” she said.