Pride festivals and parades are held every June to celebrate the progress of the LGBTQ+ community and their allies.
On the First Coast, many organizations are also hosting celebrations, some for the very first time.
Bobby Kelley is the owner BobbyK Boutique in Murray Hill and is organizing the first-ever Springfield Pride event. He says that Pride events in Jacksonville are few and far between and it's about time that people start to change that.
"I moved here from Brooklyn and part of my journey in NYC in June....always so important to remember the Stonewall Riots as an important part of queer liberation," Kelley says.
Here is a list of events where you can get your pride on during the month of June.
- Jacksonville Jumbo Shrimp hosts Pride Night
Enjoy Pride Night with the Jacksonville Jumbo Shrimp at their 2nd Annual Pride Night! All proceeds go directly to River City Pride and support the events throughout the year including the River City Pride Parade and Festival, as well as our River City Pride Community Give Back Fund.
When: June 10, 7 p.m.
- Fernandina Beach Pride Parade and Festival
The inaugural Fernandina Beach Pride Parade and Festival weekend will be held June 8th and 9th, 2019. With overwhelming support from the City of Fernandina Beach and community partners, Fernandina Pride is excited to sponsor this weekend of love and celebration with speakers, food, art, worship, and love.
The Fernandina Pride Parade will be held Saturday, June 8th at 10 a.m. and the festival will be 11 a.m. - 6:30 p.m. at 1200 Atlantic Avenue. Speakers include Seth Owen, a teen featured in a story from First Coast News.
On Sunday, June 9th, Fernandina Pride will hold a special multi-faith worship service at 8:30 a.m. at the gazebo at Main Beach.
- Springfield Pride Fest and Saturday Market
The Springfield area is hosting it's first ever brewery Pride event on Main Street from 1 p.m. - 5 p.m. on Saturday with Main & Six Brewing Company and Hyperion Brewing Company featuring special pride-themed beers
The event will be followed by a Second Saturday Night Market from 5 p.m. to 10 p.m. featuring drag performances hosted by BeBe Deluxe, a full bar, food trucks, and a selection of local vendors.
- The Amazing Jax Gay Pride Scavenger Hunt/ Bar Crawl
Get ready Jacksonville! A series of clues will lead you around the Riverside on June 30 performing physical and mental challenges along the way. Remember its part bar crawl, so be ready for Drinking Game Challenges.
The hunt takes three hours but will be tons of fun. It's a great way to connect with friends or meet new ones. You can sign up as a team or as an individual and we will partner you with a team.
Do you know any other Pride related events happening on the First Coast? Please email us at news@firsttcoastnews.com