OSHKOSH (NBC 26) — The City of Oshkosh is sponsoring the 2025 Oshkosh Pride event, which waives the facilities fee and offers the organization city insurance. Oshkosh Pride says it’s about more than the money.
- June 29, 2025 will be the fourth annual Oshkosh Pride event.
- The Oshkosh City Council voted 5-2 to sponsor the event.
- The City of Oshkosh has sponsored the Juneteenth and Dragon Boat Festival events in the past.
Any organization can ask for city sponsorship, according to Deputy Mayor Karl Buelow.
Though, Oshkosh Area School District events do not have to ask for sponsorship, since they are already in agreement with the city.
The request for sponsorship goes to the Diversity, Equity and Inclusion committee.
“We take a look at it, we ask questions if we need to, and the we make a recommendation to council,” Buelow, who also serves as council liaison for the DEI committee, says.
Buelow says the committee will recommend sponsorship if the event is non-profit and has community or educational value.
“[Pride] meets everything we’re looking for in a community event,” Buelow says.
City sponsorship waives the facility use fee, which Buelow says was $525 for Pride to use Leach Amphitheater, and gives the organization use of City liability insurance.
Buelow says the organization still pays for the insurance, but it’s a discounted price.
An organization can ask just for the facility use fee to be waived, or they can ask for full city sponsorship.
This year is the first time the Oshkosh Pride non-profit organization has asked for city sponsorship of their June event.
Council approved the sponsorship 5-2. Kris Larson, Karl Buelow, Matt Mugerauer, DJ Nichols and Joe Stephenson voted in favor. Jacob Floam and Paul Esslinger voted against.
“The vote was not whether we have the event,” Esslinger says. “All seven council members, I think I can speak for all seven of us, were fine with having the event.”
Esslinger says waiving the fees for Oshkosh Pride is unfair.
“For me, I want to be fair to everyone,” he says. “And that’s what I said at the council meeting. If we’re going to do this, then why don’t we just waive the fee for everyone.”
Buelow says Oshkosh Pride met the criteria for sponsorship.
“If this opens the door for more non-profit organizations utilizing this space to host community events, I am all for that,” he says.
In a statement, Oshkosh Pride says:
“Our Oshkosh Pride events help strengthen and support our community, and we’re happy to hear that the majority of our city council sees and appreciates that, especially in a time where government committees are focused on legislation that discriminates against Trans, Non-binary individuals and continually spew hate for the LGBTQIA2S+.
Oshkosh Pride is a non-profit organization dedicated to providing thriving, inclusive spaces and affirming resources that improve the mental health outcomes for all intersections of LGBTQIA2S+ community.
This is bigger than waiving a fee. This is the city of Oshkosh making a statement about who we are and who we want to be.”
