Emerald Coast Pride Debuts in Crestview

In Brief:

🌈 Emerald Coast Pride comes to Crestview for the first time, hosted by PFLAG Niceville.

🎉 The all-day event features a vendor fair, Pride Walk, open mic, and all-ages Pride Prom.

❤️ A safe, affirming space to celebrate and uplift the LGBTQ+ community.

Emerald Coast Pride is making history this year with its first-ever celebration in Crestview, marking a significant expansion for the growing event series that uplifts and affirms LGBTQ+ lives along Florida’s Panhandle.

The event will take place on Saturday, June 7, at Warriors Hall in Crestview.

Hosted by PFLAG Niceville, the event brings together residents, advocates, families, and allies for a day of celebration and visibility. Organizers say the goal is simple: to create a space where LGBTQ+ people are welcomed, loved, and free to be themselves.

The celebration includes a vendor fair, games, food trucks, and a Pride Closet stocked with gender-affirming clothing that attendees can donate to or take from. A book swap invites people to share or pick up stories featuring LGBTQ+ characters and themes, and a silent auction raises funds for local youth support initiatives.

Community storytelling plays a central role throughout the day, from performances by local artists to open mic sessions where attendees can share their own experiences. A Pride Walk through the heart of Crestview highlights solidarity and visibility, culminating in a heartfelt meet-up with “Mom Hugs”—a group of local mothers offering free hugs to anyone who needs one.

The event ends with a family-friendly Pride Prom. Organizers say the prom centers on inclusivity, providing a celebratory atmosphere for people of all ages, identities, and backgrounds.

But organizers say this event is about more than rainbow flags and dance floors—it’s about saving lives. LGBTQ+ youth are significantly more likely to experience homelessness or consider suicide compared to their peers, often due to rejection from family, faith communities, or schools.

“Members of the LGBTQ+ community need to know they are loved and accepted, that they are awesome, and that they matter,” said Dr. Misti Schneidewind, a local nurse practitioner and mother of two. “Emerald Coast Pride allows you to be you.”

Trey Crouse, a past PFLAG Niceville scholarship recipient, added that events like this one send a critical message to anyone feeling isolated: “You are not alone. You have allies and community members by your side, fighting with love and compassion to make the world a more loving and accepting place.”

Dr. David Simmons, President of PFLAG Niceville and co-chair of Emerald Coast Pride, called the expansion a milestone. “Emerald Coast Pride seeks to save, love, affirm, and celebrate LGBTQ+ lives,” he said. “Although hate may persist for a season, we know that love always wins.”

PFLAG Niceville, a nonprofit organization dedicated to support and advocacy for LGBTQ+ individuals and their families, hosts monthly meetings and works year-round to support LGBTQ+ youth and their families across the region.

Organizers emphasize that the event is fully inclusive and open to people of all races, socioeconomic backgrounds, ages, abilities, sexual orientations, and gender identities. Security and medical volunteers are present throughout the day to maintain a safe space.