Pride Month in Pensacola: Where to go for celebrations, shows, dancing and more

A wave of anti-LGBTQ laws has swept Florida and across the country the last few years.

In an era of growing hostility and oppression, organizations across Pensacola are showing their love and support for the LGBTQ communities during Pride Month.

Pride Month is celebrated nationally in June to recognize the impact the LGBTQ+ community has had historically and culturally in the U.S. and internationally. The timing of the month is to commemorate the 1969 Stonewall Uprising in Manhattan, a series of protests against police harassment and persecution of LGBTQ+ Americans.

Ray and Henry Hillyer are credited with being civil rights pioneers for Pensacola's LGBTQ+ community and starting Pensacola's annual Memorial Day weekend parties. Their contributions helped others in the community who were struggling with their identities under the fear of legal prosecution and ostracism.

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The parties swelled to tens of thousands in the 1980s and 1990s, with Johnny Chisholm, owner of what was then-Emerald City nightclub, organizing and promoting local Memorial Day LGBTQ+ parties starting in the early 1990s.

Although the Memorial Day weekend party at Pensacola Beach is one of the biggest events of the year for the Panhandle, drawing up to 200,000 LGBTQ+ partygoers, Pride Month themed events continue throughout June with parades, festivals, parties and other fun activities

Kim Wolford, who owns WolfGang LLC with her wife, Jessica, are hosting Pups for Pride to bring together not only dog lovers but to create a welcoming space for the LGBTQ+ community and their allies. 

“There's lots of allies in our community as well as of course other members of the community that are part of the pride community,” Wolford said. “And we just like to have it to celebrate bringing everybody together, and whether you're a dog lover or not a dog lover, it's about just bringing us all together to celebrate and get the dogs out to do it with us.” 

Here are some to look forward to in June:

Sunday’s Child True Colors - A Celebration of PRIDE!

• When: 5 to 10 p.m., June 3
• Where: Hellcat Hangar, 1008 N. Navy Blvd.  

Sunday’s Child will kick off Pride Month with live entertainment, gender portraits, an art auction, drag show, dance party and more.

There will be two parties and tickets are on sale for $75 and include entry to both:

• Day Party (5:30-7:30 p.m.) - includes heavy hors d'oeuvres, an art auction, free-flowing wine and champagne, and entertainment.
• Night Party (8-10 p.m.) - includes dinner and sweets from local food trucks, an open bar, drag entertainment and a dance party.

Participants must be 21 years of age to enter all parties.

Pups for Pride Parade

• When: 6-9 p.m., June 10
• Where: Perfect Plain, 50 E. Garden St.

Owners of adorable and furry pets are invited to Pups for Pride to dress their pups in their most colorful and fierce outfits and "strut your mutts." There will be live music, swag bags for the dogs, raffle prizes, drink specials, gift cards for local restaurants, coffee shops and breweries. 

Those who want to participate can enter in the doggy drag show where they get to pick a song and can dance with their dogs.

The event is a ticketed event for all dogs, but people without dogs can watch and or participate in the parade at no charge.

General ticket for a dog is $35 and a family ticket for two dogs is $55. 

Pride and Perfect Allies

• When: 11 p.m. to 1 a.m., June 10
• Where: Perfect Plain Brewing Co., 50 E. Garden St.

Perfect Plain will have a Pride celebration with PensaPride and WolfGang, LLC. There will be an all day party along with a LGBTQ+ Makers Market, drag performances and live music. 

Participants must be 18+ to enter and over 21 to drink.

PensaPride Festival

• When: 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., June 24
• Where: Cordova Square Park, 1100 E. Brainerd St.

PensaPride, the annual LGBTQ+ Pride festival of Pensacola, will have drag, art, music, local food, dozens of vendors and entertainers. 

It will be a day to uplift and encourage everyone within the LGBTQ+ community and marginalized groups at the  intersections of race, gender and people with disabilities.

Gays and Gamays Wine Tasting

• When: 5-9 p.m., June 23
• Where: The Nest General Store, 11 Palafox Place, Suite C

Come out and celebrate Pride Month with an evening of wine after the PensaPride Festival at The Nest General Store. Try out the finest bottles of wine around such as Pianogrillo Grecanico or A Tribute to Grace Rose.  

Liberation: Pride After Party

• When: 8 p.m. to 1 a.m., June 24
• Where: Whiskey Joe’s Bar & Grill, 400 Quietwater Beach Road, Suite 13

Liberation: Pride After Party will include drag entertainers, DJs like DJ Brody and Kilo to keep ppeople dancing the night away, food and drinks available from the restaurant, and a chance to meet new friends to enjoy the night. 

You must be 18+ or over to attend and 21+ to drink. Cover charge is $20. Drag shows start at 9:30 p.m. and 10:30 p.m.