Florida’s largest city with a population of nearly 850,000, Jacksonville is located in the extreme northeast of the state, very close to the Georgia border. Parts of the city feel distinctly southern, while other neighborhoods capture the region’s distinctive Spanish Colonial flair – it’s just a 30-minute drive south of America’s oldest city, St. Augustine, and the beautiful tourist destination. Amelia Island is located just off the coast. The gay scene has grown quite a bit in the area over the years.
Formerly known as First Coast Pride, Jacksonville has a fairly popular Gay Pride celebration that is now called the River City Pride Festival, and the dates for this very crowded event are generally in early October.
There are two main activities that make up this important celebration for the GLBT community in Jacksonville: The Gay Pride Parade takes place in the historic Riverside neighborhood, starting at Boone Park and ending at 5 points in the business district.
The second main component of this celebration is the River Pride Gay Pride Festival. The festival features vendors and community organizations as well as entertainment from a number of notables.
If you are coming from afar, keep in mind that the drive times for key communities in the Southeast are two hours from Savannah, GA; five hours from Atlanta, GA; five hours from Pensacola, FL; 90 minutes from Gainesville, FL; and two hours from Orlando, FL.
Jacksonville Gay Resources
The Riverfront District is quite charming and has many activities, as well as several LGBT businesses. A sophisticated and historic neighborhood on the south bank of the St. Johns River, just a short drive from downtown, San Marco has a number of notable shops, restaurants, and other businesses (as well as the city’s gay bathhouse , Club Jacksonville).
To think about where to stay, check out the Jacksonville Gay-Friendly Hotel Guide, and for tips on where to eat and find gay nightlife, take a look at the Jacksonville Gay Nightlife Guide.
You can find information about LGBT Jacksonville on the helpful MyGayJacksonville.com website.
