Pop Smart - See & Do: Special event: Atlanta Pride Festival

Although ATLANTA PRIDE FESTIVAL has shifted from drought-stricken Piedmont Park to the less alfresco Atlanta Civic Center, the majority of events, including Saturday’s Dyke March and Sunday’s Pride Parade, will retain their outdoorsy origins. Among this year’s offerings, continuing Sat., JULY 5: a nondenominational commitment ceremony, which gives couples the opportunity to pledge their commitments in front of friends and family; shoutOUT!, Pride’s first foray into slam poetry; the AIDS memorial quilt display, featuring more than 400 panels; a charity poker tournament; the Atlanta Pride Marketplace; and a human rights exhibit in partnership with Georgia Equality that examines intersectionality and the relationships between identities. Performers will include Sonia Leigh, the Athens Boys Choir, Starlight Cabaret, Exposé, CeCe Peniston, Tiffany and more. Through July 6. Free. Fri., 6-11 p.m.; Sat.-Sun., 11 a.m.-11 p.m. Boisfeuillet Jones Atlanta Civic Center, 395 Piedmont Ave. 404-523-6275. www.atlantapride.org.

(Photo courtesy Atlanta Pride Committee)