NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WTVF) — A big party celebrating Pride Month kicks off tomorrow with the downtown Nashville Pride Parade, starting at 10 a.m. along Broadway, between 8th Avenue and Second Avenue. The event is free to attend.
Following the parade, the festivities continue at Bicentennial Capitol Mall State Park for the Pride Festival. The festival runs from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. tomorrow, and from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Sunday. The festival features three stages of live entertainment, food trucks, vendors, and much more. Tickets are still available.
During the celebrations, attendees will have the opportunity to explore over 100 vendors, ranging from small business owners to nonprofits like Nashville Launch Pad.
Business owners Jay Kill and his partner Frankie, of Frankie J’s in Germantown, has made it his mission to support the nonprofit.
Jay moved to Nashville 25 years ago and didn’t plan on opening a bar, but 15 months ago, the opportunity presented itself.
Jay wanted to open Frankie J’s, to be an inclusive bar. A place to offer a safe, fun, casual space for the community.
“Just a good neighborhood bar to come and relax and socialize,” Kill said. The bar, is housed in a building constructed in 1910, prides itself on its historical charm.
Acceptance wasn’t always a part of Kill’s life. “Back in the 80s during the AIDS epidemic, I was in college, and my roommates found out my sexuality and kicked me out of my apartment. I had to live in my car for seven days until I got my life back on track,” Kill shared.
This experience of feeling alone motivated Kill and his partner Frankie to provide meals for Nashville Launch Pad, a nonprofit offering shelter to unhoused young adults ages 18-24, and open and affirming to LGBTQ+ individuals and their allies.
“We make our own sauces and prepare our own meats. And it’s bar food—Mexican-style bar food,” Kill said.
Since 2014, Launch Pad has provided more than 25,000 nights of stable, street-free sleep for young adults 18-24,” said HG Stovall, Executive Director of Nashville Launch Pad. “When we think about homelessness, that also comes with hygiene insecurity and food insecurity.”
“I really felt a connection because it’s not their fault for who they identify as. It wasn’t my fault that I lost my housing in the middle of going to college and working,” Kill reflected.
Jay knows Pride Month is a time for celebration. “We’re going to have the patio bar out here and have the DJ going all weekend,” he said. But it’s also about activism and giving back.
He encourages those attending Nashville Pride to check out all the vendors, to find out how you can support their missions of helping LGBTQ+ individuals and allies.
“Nobody should go hungry in our community, and we’re happy to support that,” Kill emphasized. Jay is doing his part to make sure no one r feels alone.
“Frankie J’s is so driven with the staff, our vision, and focus. We’re here to help, and that’s why we opened this whole place up,” Kill added.
For those attending Pride, Frankie J’s offers a free shuttle service. Look for the sign at the pickup spot on 5th Ave near the Sounds stadium. If the sign is out, the shuttle is running continuously between Pride and Frankie J's.
Frankie J’s does accept food donations. They use it to make meals for Launch Pad. Learn more, here.
