Happy Pride month! While Atlanta Pride is still months away, there are plenty of Pride festivals and celebrations happening across Georgia and the Southeast. So, pack your bags, head out of the city, and wave that rainbow flag!
Pride in Georgia
Columbus
June 3 – 4
Columbus Pride kicks off with the Mr/Ms/Mx Columbus Pride Pageant on Friday at 7pm before the festival on Saturday from 9am to 10pm. Both events will be held at 1100 Broadway. Learn more at colgaypride.org.
Valdosta
June 4
South Georgia Pride hosts Music and Art on Main from 2pm to 7pm at Hahira Train Depot. Attendees will enjoy entertainment from Mama Stone, Jen Anders, Flintlock Annie, Tom Hochschild/Azalea City Entertainment, and Samantha Fox, plus food trucks and vendors. Learn more at southgapride.com.
Athens
June 12
The Athens Pride and Queer Collective is hosting their first-ever Athens Pride Parade on June 12 in Downtown Athens at 1:30pm! The parade route will begin near Creature Comforts on Hancock, make a right on Hull, a left on Clayton, a left on College Avenue, and ends at Thomas Lay Park. At the end of the parade, there will be a BBQueer at the park featuring bands, activities, and barbecue (with vegan options!). Learn more and register for the parade at athenspride.org.
Augusta
June 24 – 26
August Pride begins with Beats on Broad: Purple Party on Friday at 6pm. For a $10 cover, dance the night away at Augusta Common. Then, the festivities kick off with the Augusta Pride Parade at 10:30am on Saturday. The parade will line up on Jones Street, between 10th and 11th streets. The festival then begins at 11am at the Augusta Common. Round out the weekend with the Ain’t Misbehavin’ Pool Party at noon on Sunday at the Parliament Resort. 21+ with a $10 cover. Learn more at prideaugusta.org.
Rome
June 24 – 26
The inaugural Rome Pride celebration will include a comedy and drag show, rainbow march, festival with vendors and entertainment, dessert river cruise, non-denominational Pride church service, and more! Learn more at romegapride.com.
Gwinnett
June 25
Gwinnett Pride will be happening from 11am to 7pm at Lillian Webb Park. Gwinnett Pride is presented by the Visibility Club, created by Rolando Guzman, with a mission to increase visibility and foster community for LGBTQ people beyond Atlanta proper. As a result of this work, Gwinnett County recently announced a declaration marking June as official Pride Month, and this year for the first time, Norcross City Hall is lit up in rainbow colors in support and celebration of Pride Month. The entertainment lineup includes the Atlanta Women’s Chorus, Alma Mexicana, Exquisite Gender, Ashton May, Francisco Vega, L. Marie, and more. For more information, visit gwinnettpride.us.
Pride in the Southeast
Birmingham, AL
June 1 – 12
Central Alabama Pride has a whopping twelve days of Pride events happening this year, spanning everything from Pride skate night on June 7 to the Royal Pride Prom for LGBTQ youth on June 10. The festivities conclude with a nighttime Mardis Gras-style Pride parade on June 11 at 8pm, stepping off from 32nd Street South, and PRIDEFEST on June 12 at 11am at Linn Park. Learn more at centralalabamapride.org.
Key West, FL
June 3 – 5
Key West Pride weekend is chock full of events like drag shows, pool parties, and tea dances from early morning to late night. The official Pride Street Fair will be held on Saturday from 10am to 5pm on Duval Street, and the parade will be held at 5pm on Sunday. Find the full line-up of events and learn more at gaykeywestfl.com/pride.
Columbia, SC
June 4
Outfest Columbia will feature “RuPaul’s Drag Race” season 14 winner Willow Pill, plus a lineup of other performers and vendors at The Vista, all starting at 1pm. Learn more at scpride.org.
Jackson, MS
June 25
While MS Capital City Pride’s official Pride weekend isn’t until September, they’re hosting a Pride Month Block Party on Duling Street. Learn more at mscapitalcitypride.org.
Nashville, TN
June 25 – 26
The two-day Nashville Pride festival will begin at 11am each day at Bicentennial Capitol Mall State Park. The festival will feature live entertainment across three stages, a kids and family zone, youth area, community art, and over 225 vendors. The parade kicks off on Saturday at 10am at Broadway/8th Ave. Learn more at nashvillepride.org.
Raleigh, NC
June 25
Out! Raleigh Pride, organized by the LGBTQ Center of Raleigh, will feature speakers, performers, and vendors in downtown Raleigh’s Fayetteville St. district. Learn more at outraleigh.com.