The festival includes several attractions for the LGBT community and allies, to browse and watch. Attendance grew every year in the following decade until 20 when the event was not held in person due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The festival saw the addition of a 2nd stage, as well as an expansion in family-friendly entertainment. In 2012, the week of events opened with the new 'Rainbow 5k Run/Walk'. In 2011, the festival broke records by attracting a record estimate 70,000 attendees. It has since grown into a 2-hour-plus-long event. The first parade was small with only eight participants and lasted 15 minutes. The first Indy Pride Parade stepped off in 2002. The celebration held 10 events in seven days, culminating with a pride fair on the downtown Indy Canal.
Jeffrey Cleary and Bill McKinley served as Co-Chairs for the city's first ever pride week. However, the first Indy Pride, Inc., sponsored event began in 1996 as a week-long celebration of events. The first known Pride week in Indianapolis was celebrated in 1976 with the support of Metropolitan Community Church and Gay Peoples Union.
