Jax River City Pride will fill Jacksonville’s Riverside area with a parade, after-party and Sunday festival this weekend.
The Pride Parade begins at 2 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 3, at Willow Branch Park, with Jacksonville City Council member Jimmy Peluso serving as grand marshal. Organizers describe the 1.5-mile parade as family-friendly and open to all ages.
The route will travel through Riverside, Avondale and Five Points to Riverside Park, using Park Street, King Street, Post Street, Stockton Street and Margaret Street. A post-parade celebration is scheduled from 5 to 8 p.m. Saturday at 1059 Park St.
The festival follows from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 4, at Riverside Park. Its main stage schedule includes DJ Supa Dave from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m., Seventh Street Band from 2 to 3:30 p.m., Kristy Lee from 4 to 6 p.m. and an adults-only Drag Revue, for ages 18 and older, from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m.
Families can also find a kid zone with story time, arts and crafts, games, a dance party, a bubble party and other activities.
Parade participants with large buses, floats or billboard-style entries can begin staging at 9 a.m. Saturday; other participants may stage beginning at 11 a.m. Staging ends at 12:30 p.m. There is no official participant parking, according to organizers, who encourage attendees and participants to plan ahead, carpool or use rideshare services. An information tent will be at the Willowbranch Library.
Participant registration closed Sept. 25, and organizers said late entries will not be accepted. The event is cashless, rain or shine and nonrefundable. Organizers advise attendees to check Jax River City Pride’s website and parade information page for updates before leaving home.
