First City Pride Center, one of the only LGBTQ+ centers in the state, is gearing up to celebrate Savannah Pride Week, which takes place Oct. 17-22. The week-long celebration also includes the annual Savannah Pride Festival, which FCPC has been hosting since 2019. Acknowledging that LGBTQ+ Pride is typically observed in June, some may wonder why Savannah Pride is in October. The reasons are twofold: It’s pretty hot in June around these parts, so some Southern states choose to observe Pride in cooler times of the year, and October is LGBTQ+ History Month, so it made sense to host Savannah’s Pride celebration during this month.

This year’s celebration features several events taking place all throughout the week leading up to the Savannah Pride Festival, which is set for Oct. 20-21 in Ellis Square. The festivities kick off Tuesday, Oct. 17 with an open mic night at the Sentient Bean. Then on Thursday, Oct. 19, FCPC will host their official opening party, the Masqueerade Ball, at Starland Yard at 7 p.m.

“It’s a celebration of ballroom culture, which is a primarily queer and BIPOC-specific art form that’s where vogue came from. Not only will it be super fun, it’ll also be very educational,” said Lawrence Appenzeller, the marketing and events director at FCPC.

On Friday following the ball is the start of the Savannah Pride Festival, which will take place from 5-11 p.m. at Ellis Square. Attendees can enjoy vendor booths featuring inclusive nonprofits and organizations, food trucks, an open bar, and the Savannah Pride Parade, which starts at 8 p.m. The festival continues on Saturday starting at noon, and there will be live entertainment throughout the weekend.

“Two of our headliners are performing Friday night, Tajonyx, who is a recording artist from Atlanta. And then we have Dax Exclamation Point, who is a drag queen from Savannah who was on RuPaul’s Drag Race,” said Appenzeller.

The Saturday night headliner is another Drag Race alum, Malaysia Babydoll Fox. VIP tickets are available, which include an exclusive meet-and-greet with the headliners and a private show featuring performers like Rita D’Lavane, Corbin Monoxide and Magnolia Minxx.

Savannah Pride Week culminates on Sunday, Oct. 22 with a tea dance and brunch at the Social Club featuring local talents like Jordan Sophia Alexander, Alexis Storm and DJ Paradise. Appenzeller encourages the public to come out and join in the Savannah Pride Week celebration because it’s a fun way to meet other people in the community while showing support within the current political climate.

“It’s really important this year especially because of all the legislation going on and the attacks on trans rights specifically. Pride isn’t just a celebration. It has been commemorating the gay liberation movement in the U.S. It’s really important right now for anyone who supports to show up — not just the queer community, but allies, advocates, anyone — because it’s really impactful for queer people in the South, who maybe don’t get access to support often, to see how much support there is in Savannah. . . It’s an easy thing to do to just show up, but it can be really impactful for some people to see others out there supporting and celebrating our identity,” he said.

Funds generated from this year’s Pride celebration will help to support the FCPC at a particularly critical time in its history.

“The center is moving. We have to find a new location by the end of the year. Right now, we’re working on an in-between location while we raise money, but it’s really important this year because we need to raise money to actually relocate and find a new space to keep providing our services,” Appenzeller explained.

There are many ways to contribute at the festival. Drink purchases, VIP tickets and game donations are just some of the ways to support financially. Appenzeller added that FCPC is operated almost completely by volunteers so every donation, no matter how small, goes a long way to support their efforts.

“It’s amazing how much support we get as a very small center with all the amazing people here who help make Pride happen. It definitely wouldn’t happen without them,” he said.

To learn more about Savannah Pride Week, visit firstcitypridecenter.org/savannah-pride.

This article appears in Connect Savannah | October, 2023.