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.
