Atlanta Pride Committee

Atlanta Pride Committee is Georgia's longest-running nonprofit serving the LGBTQ+ community. Since 1971 it has been a driving force for change in the Southeast, advocating for the queer community, offering resources on gender and sexuality, and gathering people each October for the Atlanta Pride Festival and Parade, the nation's largest free Pride festival.

The festival fills Piedmont Park with music, drag, dance and community. The Main Stage (Coca-Cola Stage) in the Meadow hosts nationally recognized headliners alongside regional artists, and the Community Stage, presented by Visit Athens, near the 12th Street entrance showcases local performers, community groups, drag artists, dancers and emerging talent. The weekend ends with the Starlight Cabaret, billed as the largest outdoor drag show in the country. The Marketplace, open from 10 AM to 7 PM both days, brings together community organizations, sponsors and vendors, and Premium Passes add meet-and-greet opportunities with featured artists. The 2026 festival runs October 10 to 11 under the theme Louder & Prouder, coinciding with National Coming Out Day on October 11.

The weekend is also a march. On Saturday, Atlanta Pride produces three community marches that step off from the Charles Allen Gate: the Trans March, the Bi & Pan March and the Dyke March, each open to allies. On Sunday, the Atlanta Pride Parade starts at noon at the Civic Center MARTA station and moves up Peachtree Street to the park, led each year by grand marshals. The 2026 Honorary Grand Marshal is Congressman Dr. Everton Blair Jr. Groups that want to walk can apply through the parade application.

Beyond October, Atlanta Pride keeps a year-round schedule of educational, social and cultural events. It also gives back. Its grantmaking initiative, Pride Across the Peach State, funds local Pride organizations across Georgia with grants of up to $5,000 for festivals and events that celebrate LGBTQ+ arts, culture, history and music, bring people together, and reflect the diversity of the community, including trans and gender-expansive people, people of color, people with disabilities, older adults, youth and faith-based communities that affirm LGBTQ+ people. The committee also takes requests for AIDS Memorial Quilt panels to be displayed at the festival.

Atlanta Pride describes itself as a grassroots organization, and its volunteers are central to the work. Hundreds of people help each year during festival weekend, on volunteer committees and in year-round roles, and the organization also recruits members for its board. Its office at 1530 DeKalb Avenue NE is home to a painting of Marsha P. Johnson, gifted in 2025 by artist Jenna Deibel.

People can get involved by volunteering, applying for a Marketplace booth, parade contingent or entertainment slot, sponsoring, or donating. A one-time gift supports the festival and year-round programs, and the 70 CLUB offers a monthly sustaining gift with perks such as invitations to private Pride events and discounts on Premium Passes. Questions go to info@atlantapride.org or (404) 382-7588.