This year the nonprofit Athens Pride & Queer Collective (APQC) is combining the organization’s two popular annual events, the Pride Parade and Fall Festival, into one celebration: PrideFest. The Pride Month event will be held on Saturday, June 7 from 3–10 p.m. with the main festival zone taking over the block at the end of E. Washington Street.
Lineup for the parade takes place on W. Hancock Avenue in front of Creature Comforts Brewing Co., and the parade will begin at 5 p.m. from the starting point at the intersection of Hancock and Pulaski Street. Participants will head south on Pulaski behind the festival main stage, turn left on W. Clayton Street, turn left on College Avenue, then take a final left back onto Hancock.
The festival zone will feature local queer and affirming resources, arts and business vendors, a sensory station, food trucks and a kids zone from 3–8 p.m. Adult performances will be on the main stage from 8–10 p.m. Wristbands can be purchased for $5 by adults ages 21 and up who wish to drink alcoholic beverages within the festival zone.
The theme of PrideFest is “From Athens With Pride.” APQC President Becky Loccisano noted in a press release that this year’s celebration is particularly important given the amount of uncertainty felt by LGBTQIA+ communities under the current federal and state administrations. In previous years, the Pride Parade has drawn thousands of attendees, and the expectation for this year is no different.
“Our community is under attack, which is evident by the 13 anti-LGBTQIA+ bills discussed this legislative session in Georgia, and by the 500 plus introduced across the country. Folx are anxious, and community has never been more important. PrideFest is a celebration of queer joy and a proclamation that we are here, we are resilient and we’re stronger together. When attending this event, we hope people feel energized knowing that they are not alone, and that they are surrounded by love and support in Athens,” says Loccisano.
APQC was one of this year’s recipients of Atlanta Pride’s “Pride Across the Peach State” grant. Launched last year, the grant funds and supports “festivals and events for LGBTQ+ communities and their allies in Georgia to connect, celebrate diversity, build resilience and promote inclusion,” according to Atlanta Pride’s website. Other grant recipients included Atlanta Black Pride, Carrollton Rainbow, Equality Fest, Macon Pride, Pride Lake, Rome Georgia Pride, Savannah Pride Center, Smyrna Pride, Southern Fried Queer Pride and Statesboro Pride.
Several groups and businesses around Athens are hosting Pride-related events this weekend in addition to the festival. Friday night Shameless Sexuality’s One Night Stand event is Pride themed, inviting guests to listen to speaker presentations and share in community with snacks and drinks. One Night Stand is held at Revolution Therapy and Yoga from 6–8 p.m. with a suggested donation of $10–$15. Registration at linktr.ee/shamelesssexuality is encouraged.
Saturday morning you can pre-game for PrideFest with the Athens Welcome Center’s Athens Queer Space Tour led by local guide Rin Gunn. These two-mile walking tours begin at 10:30 a.m. and are taking place every Saturday and Sunday for the month of June. You can register for $20 at athenswelcomecenter.com. Then at 9 p.m. on Saturday night the Athens Showgirl Cabaret is hosting its Drag for All Pride show at Hendershot’s. Admission is $5, and all ages are welcome, but those under 18 require a parent or guardian.
There are two events taking place at Athentic Brewing Co. on Sunday. The Color Me Queer Tie-Dye Party will take place at 2 p.m. with a $5 fee. Bring your own shirt, then get creative with the host’s tie-dye supplies. The UGA chapter of the United College Workers of Georgia is hosting a screening of the 2014 historical comedy-drama film Pride at 6 p.m. The film is based on a true story about a group of lesbian and gay activists who raised money for victims of the British miners strike in 1984.
Although APQC’s Fall Festival will no longer take place, its other annual anticipated events like Queer Prom and Operation Transformation will continue. Keep an eye out for more information as those dates are finalized for later this year.
For more information about APQC’s events, groups and programs, visit athenspride.org.
WHO: PrideFest
WHEN: Saturday, June 7, 3–10 p.m.
WHERE: Downtown Athens
HOW MUCH: FREE!
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