Here’s your guide to the Pride event in Atlanta and similar celebrations across GA

October is LGBTQ+ History Month and unlike most of the country, this is also when Georgia celebrates Pride Month. This means we’re in store for a full slate of events ranging from parades and drag shows to family festivals and legal clinics.

Many of these events emphasize inclusion and provide safe-space meet-ups, extending beyond Atlanta to spotlight the community’s growing visibility across Georgia.

GA celebrates Pride in October

Georgia move their Pride festivities to October for a few reasons.

• The heat: Cooler temperatures make it a safer experience for outdoor events
• Turnout: This helps boost attendance so it doesn’t compete with with summer vacations, other festivals around the city and back-to-back school transitions
• Timing: Aside from October being LGBTQ+ History month, Atlanta Pride is timed to coincide with National Coming Out Day on October 11

Atlanta’s pride is the largest in the state

Atlanta’s two-day festival and parade takes place in Piedmont Park and Midtown and anchors the statewide celebration throughout the season. This year’s theme is Rooted in Resistance which is chosen as a “reminder that Pride is not only a celebration, but a call to action.”

Schedule of events

• Official Kickoff: Friday, October 10, 7–11 PM at the Georgia Aquarium. 
• Festival: Saturday, October 11 and Sunday, October 12, starting at 10 AM daily in Piedmont Park. 
• Parade: Starts off at 12 PM from the Civic Center MARTA Station

Performances

• Flo Milli
• Perfume Genius
• Bob the Drag Queen
• 2Am Ricky
• Bently Robles
• Adeem the Artist
• Lena Lust

Other events

All of Atlanta Pride’s events are in Piedmont Park located at 400 Park Drive .

• Georgia Aquarium After Part - October 10 at 9 PM
• Pride Yoga - October 11 at 9 am
• Recovery Meetup - October 11 at 12 PM
• Drag Story Hour - October 11 at 12 PM
• Trans March - October 11 at 1: 15 PM

Pride Events across Georgia

Atlanta Pride also supports rural and smaller-town events through its “Pride Across the Peach State“ grants, fostering LGBTQ+ visibility well beyond city limits.

Columbus

The 12th Annual ColGay Pride Fright & Fabulous Halloween Festival is among the most festive of all the celebrations. It takes place on October 31 from 8 to 11 PM at 4214 16th Avenue.

This event features:

• All ages trick-or-treating
• Children’s costume contest from 5 to 8 pm
• Drag shows
• Adult costume contest
• Cemetery tours
• Dance party  

The first ever “Hallow Pride” will be an event for attendees to “eat, drink and get spooky.” The event features a Halloween market and a drag show and takes place at Chattabrewchee and The Vibe on 6th.

Other events in Columbus include:

• Support groups for SA survivors at Aglow Apothecary- 10/20 at 6:15 PM
• Really, Really Free Market at Smoking Mirror Tattoo Gallery - 10/19 from 10 AM to 5 PM

Carrollton

The Carrollton Pride Festival takes place on October 4 and focuses on connecting community members with support.

The event will feature:

• Local LGBTQ+ artists
• Food trucks and vendors, with an evening 
• Drag show following daytime 
• Festivities at the University of West Georgia Ballroom.

Statesboro

Also October 4, the theme of the Boro Pride Festival is Pride is a Promise and offers community building for the Statesboro-Bulloch County area.

The event will feature:

• Live music
• Family activities
• Message of community promise at Mainstreet Farmers Market.

Athens

On October 10, the OUTLaw organization in Athens is hosting a gender-affirming legal name change clinic providing free help to trans, nonbinary, and gender-diverse folks with legal paperwork and attorney support.

Savannah

Savannah is home to several major events happening at the Savannah Civic Center.

• “You Better Werk” queer job fair:  October 4;
• The Savannah Pride Vogue Ball: October 18
• Savannah Pride Festival: October 25, featuring cabaret, drag, music, foam parties, and family-friendly activities in the historic Forsyth Park.

Dekalb County

The Brookhaven Library in Dekalb County will host a gender-affirming name change clinic October 24 from 1:30 PM to 4:30 PM. Volunteers from the Southern Legal Center for Youth (SLCY) will provide guidance through the name change process.

Are there Pride events happening in your area that are not listed here? Email me at srose@ledger-enquirer.com or find me on social media.

This story was originally published October 1, 2025 at 6:00 AM.