It's Pride, Y'all (MS Capital City Pride)

It's Pride, Y'all is the annual Pride festival of MS Capital City Pride in Jackson. The free, family-friendly festival is held on the grounds of the Mississippi Museum of Art, with a VIP kickoff party the night before and a drag brunch the day after. The 2026 festival was the sixth annual edition.

MS Capital City Pride began in 2018 as a conversation between best friends Lucas Posey and Tyler Griffing Sauls at a game night, at a time when Starkville, Oxford, Hattiesburg, Natchez and the Gulf Coast were launching Pride events. They recruited founding members Cody Shumaker and Ashlee Pitts, incorporated with the state, and held a first community engagement meeting in August 2019 in Cody's downtown Jackson apartment.

With mentoring from Grace House Services, the group held its first festival, now known as It's Pride, Y'all, in October 2021, and it became a 501(c)(3) nonprofit in early 2022. A 15-person board now leads the organization, and its mission is to provide safe spaces, advocate for LGBTQIA+ needs and mentor emerging leaders in the Jackson metro area.

The 2026 festival, themed Rooted and Rising, is planned for October 16 to 18 on the grounds of the Mississippi Museum of Art. The free festival features live music, drag artists, comedy, a DJ dance party, local vendors, nonprofits and food trucks, and the weekend closes with a Halloween drag brunch at Hal and Mal's. The group also hosts a free monthly trivia night led by Penny Nickels.

Pride events celebrate LGBTQ+ people and mark the Stonewall uprising of June 1969. Most combine a parade or march with a festival of performers, community groups, vendors and food.

It's Pride, Y'all (MS Capital City Pride) has included festival, vip kickoff party and drag brunch.

The next edition is October 16-18, 2026. It usually falls mid-October weekend.