Pride For All

PensaPride 2026 Celebrates Love & Community

Pensacola has a sense of community that shines through in the way our neighbors gather to support one another. As we welcome Pride Month, Pensacola embraces this spirit with a celebration that honors the LGBTQIA2S+ community, fostering awareness, acceptance and joy.

PensaPride is a sober, all-ages Pride festival dedicated to celebrating and uplifting LGBTQIA2S+ communities through art, culture, education and connection in a safe and inclusive environment.

This year, PensaPride will host its sixth annual Pride celebration on Saturday, June 13 from 10 am to 6 pm at the Pensacola Interstate Fair Expo Hall at 6655 Mobile Highway.

PensaPride is dedicated to strengthening the Pensacola LGBTQIA2S+ community while supporting local families and small businesses. Their mission is to create positive social impact by normalizing inclusion for LGBTQIA2S+ individuals, especially those at the intersections of race, gender and disability.

“What inspired us to organize PensaPride was that we saw a real need in Pensacola for a sober, safe space that uplifts artists, performers and the community,” PensaPride Event Organizer Marri Salt said. “I was already hosting the Pensacola Arts Market at a small café, creating a space where people could feel comfortable, connect and relax.”

The 2026 theme, Summerween, blends seasonal creative expression with Pride celebration, encouraging costumes, performance and artistic participation while emphasizing visibility, authenticity and community care. PensaPride has expanded into its most substantial event yet, featuring programming across two indoor buildings and a large lineup of artists, vendors and community organizations and nonprofits.

The event will include more than 100 LGBTQIA2S+ artists, makers, small businesses and community groups, along with two live performance stages featuring presentations hosted by 309 Punk Project. Additional features include a community bookstore, resource spaces, free family-friendly arts and crafts activities and an outdoor food court with more than a dozen food trucks.

To get an idea of treats you can enjoy, food court vendors will include: All About Boba, The Dirty Dragon Inn, CB Coffee & Tea, Jay’s Italian Ice, Easy Peasy Lemon Squeezy, Mini Pancake Mayhem, Waffle Boutique, Pretty Baked in Pensacola, The Rican Vegan, Sneaky Tiki, Popcorn King, Second Wind Beverages & Snacks LLC, Ejelyn’s Kitchen, Curry in a Hurry, 3-D Eats & Tea Pensacola, Tikitail Tiki Bar (mocktails and tiki-inspired drinks), That Matcha Girl and Kneady’s Bakery.

Although there is an extensive list of vendors who also support the event, you can expect to see names such as: Dead Hot portrait pop-up, Studio Liv, Moonlit Mushroom, Fabled Bee, Just Nerdy Designs, Comics Ink! and many more.

Performers are selected through an open call, inviting local talent to apply so the festival can showcase a wide range of voices from our community.

Entertainment is coordinated by DJ Brody Parker, who generously volunteers his time to organize the main stage performances and help bring the overall show together.

“Our hope is that PensaPride gives you exactly what you need in the moment — whether that’s community connection, a sweet treat, a live performance, or the chance to make art with a friend,” Salt said. “Maybe you usually keep to yourself, and this festival gently invites you out of your comfort zone to be surrounded by kindred spirits in a welcoming, high-energy space.”

In Building 7, there will be a community stage in partnership with the 309 Punk Project. The organization has been a valuable partner over the years, curating performances and creating space for even more artists to be seen and heard.

“We’ve had a lot of support from performers throughout the years,” Salt said. “Performers have been an integral part of us growing into this beautiful thing we are for the community.”

PensaPride is intentional about who they showcase and uplift. When curating vendors, performers and participants, Salt often asks people why they want to be part of PensaPride. While there is not a wrong answer, the goal is to ensure the people who are part of the festival genuinely care about the community and showing up for one another.

The event began in 2021 when a few members from Stride approached Salt about hosting a Pride festival. With just a few months of planning, a handful of volunteers and help from Salt’s sister, the festival took shape and became something even bigger than Salt had imagined.

“Our first PensaPride took place in a city park,” Salt said. “We truly had no idea how many people would show up but the community came out in full support, ready to celebrate together. It showed us just how much this kind of space was needed.”

Each year, PensaPride continues to grow not just in size but in the experience it offers. Over the years it has expanded into additional buildings, moved onto private property to create a more secure and comfortable environment, and added private security to prioritize safety for everyone attending.

Part of creating a secure and welcoming space for PensaPride means prioritizing safety and accessibility for all attendees. The event will include on-site private security, two EMTs and water provided by the ECUA Quench Buggy located outdoors near the food truck area.

Following its mission of inclusion, PensaPride aims to make space for BIPOC, AFAB, trans and queer artists, allies and friends, and to ensure a wide range of people feel represented and included throughout the festival. This is all while being mindful of folks with disabilities, and Salt is actively trying each year to make PensaPride more accessible for everyone.

As the festival has grown, so has the support behind it. This is a true grassroots event that thrives on community involvement, from in-kind sponsorships to partners who help bring it to life. 309 hosts the community stage in Building 7, while Brighter Days Photography captures the festival through photos. Hairy Alex Horne Salon also sponsors the festival each year and offers affordable cuts and trims on site.

PensaPride also owes a great deal of its success to its volunteer board, who all have full-time jobs, are students, artists or run their own businesses, and still give their time and energy to make the event happen. The volunteers contribute their skills in many ways, including graphic design and website support that helps keep everything running.

Although volunteers and sponsors are always welcome and necessary to support the PensaPride cause, anyone can help by spreading the word about the festival as well as telling their tales of PensaPride by sharing pictures and stories on social media.

For additional safety, there will be a clear bag policy that will be enforced. Medical bags and diaper bags are permitted but subject to search upon entry. Free private parking will be available on-site and surrounding the venue.

Taking place rain or shine, general admission is $8 per person while children 10 and under get free admission. Re-entry is permitted with a valid wristband. Tickets will be available at the door on the day of the event or you can purchase them online at pensapride.org. Follow @PensaPride on Facebook and Instagram for updates and more information.

“At the end of the day, PensaPride is such a beautiful day filled with joy, connection and people being fully themselves,” Salt said. “We’re proud of our community. We’re proud of you, Pensacola — for showing up, for being yourself and for choosing joy and visibility even when times can feel scary or hard. I think we really need that joy right now.”