Photos and video from the Jackson Pride parade and festival.
JACKSON, MI — Hundreds gathered downtown Saturday for the second Jackson Pride parade and festival.
The parade stepped off at 11 a.m. Saturday, Aug. 18 and was followed by a rally that included a handful of speakers, including Jackson Mayor Derek Dobies.
“I think that having the pride festival and events like this are crucially important to the city,” Dobies said.
The festival, which runs until 10 p.m., includes bands, a drag pageant, a DJ and various food vendors. An additional stage will be added to keep the event moving, organizer Nikki Joly said. There’s a $10 suggested donation to get into the festival.
The weekend kicked off with a Jackson Pride fundraiser at 8 p.m. Friday, Aug. 17 at Bella Notte.
Last year’s event was the inaugural Jackson Pride celebration for the city. The festivities built on the momentum from the city’s LGBT-friendly non-discrimination ordinance.
The ordinance – which prohibits discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity in employment, housing and public accommodations – was narrowly passed by council after decades of discussion.
