The Atlanta Pride Committee honored its 2023 volunteers with a Volunteer Appreciation Party at the Atlanta Marriott Marquis on Sunday, December 10, 2023. This year’s Volunteer Appreciation Party was hosted by Marriott International, the event’s presenting sponsor and a longstanding supporter of Atlanta Pride.

“Volunteers are the heartbeat of our organization. The Atlanta Pride Festival has always been a grassroots event, and we continue to be driven by our community volunteers,” said Executive Director Chris McCain. He continued by noting, “Each volunteer is critical, and this year, we had the support of more than 150 individuals over the festival weekend. We can’t thank them enough!”

Atlanta Pride hosted the 54th annual Atlanta Pride Festival in October. Under the theme of “Show Up and Show Out,” this year's event welcomed more than 300,000 visitors to Piedmont Park and featured Atlanta’s largest parade, with over 300 businesses and organizations participating. The festival also boasted record attendance at its community marches for the Trans, Bi+/Pan, and Dyke communities. None of this would have been possible without Atlanta Pride’s committed volunteers.

Several volunteers were recognized for extraordinary service to Atlanta Pride with the newly created “Starlight Award,” named in tribute to the festival’s Starlight Cabaret, the largest outdoor drag event in the country. Longtime volunteers were also recognized for their years of service.

Steven Igarashi-Ball, Atlanta Pride’s director of equity and engagement, commented, “Atlanta Pride is very fortunate to have volunteers who have supported our organization for decades. This year, we are celebrating several volunteers who have each served for

While most Atlanta Pride volunteers are engaged leading up to and during the annual festival and parade in October, the organization relies on volunteers throughout the year. Atlanta Pride hosts year-round programming, and volunteers help promote the mission of advancing unity, visibility, and wellness in the local LGBTQ+ community. Anyone interested in volunteering and learning how to support the state’s oldest LGBTQ+ organization is encouraged to visit www.atlantapride.org.

Selected photos from the event are available here, and you can view a video recap of the event here.