LOUISVILLE, Ky. — The Louisville Pride Foundation is welcoming the community home on Sept. 17.
The foundation announced the return of the Louisville Pride Festival, with this year's theme being "Welcome Home", and the opening of a new resource for the LGBTQ community, the Louisville Pride Center.
“Being LGBTQ means being isolated at some point in your life,” Mike Slaton, executive director of the Louisville Pride Foundation, said. “Our message to everyone is that you have a home with the Louisville Pride community. After two years of cancellations for COVID, the festival is back. And we are now expanding that work year round with the center.”
The pride festival will be from 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. on Bardstown Road from Grinstead Drive to Longest Avenue.
This free festival will feature two stages with live entertainment, over 100 vendors and more.
The main stage lineup will focus on promoting Louisville artists, and will feature Kianna and the Sun Kings, Sheryl Rouse, Bryce Dalton, Pepper Mashay and DJ Sam Gee.
Two drag shows will be performed on the main stage, featuring Rising Stars and Local Legends. The community stage will feature more drag queens and several local theater companies.
“Our board felt strongly that we wanted to promote and support local artists as much as possible this year after the stress of the last two years,” Slaton said.
The Louisville Pride Center's grand opening is scheduled for Oct. 11, which is also National Coming Out Day. The center is located at 1244 S. 3rd St. and will be open from 12:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. Monday through Thursday. Additional hours are planned as the center grows.
Foundation representatives said the center will be a safe and affirming gathering place for LGBTQ people and their friends and family, a backbone organization to support LGBTQ small businesses and nonprofits and a point of entry for services.
The center's programs and services will include game nights, movie nights, mental health services, 12-step groups, support groups and more.
For more information about the Louisville Pride Foundation, the festival or the center, click here.
