Nashville Pagan Pride Day 2018 (NPPD) will be held this Saturday, September 29, 2018, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. at Two Rivers Park in Donelson. This is the event’s 16th year as an annual event, and its fifth in the current location.
Paganism is an umbrella term covering several spiritual paths including Wicca, Asatru, Druidism, and Heathenry, among others. In general, Pagans draw on pre-Christian traditions from many different places and honor Deity as both male and female. Many Pagan paths see the Earth as sacred, so environmentally-friendly practices become an important part of their spiritual practice. Most Pagan groups share authority equally between women and men. Pagans are generally very LGBT friendly. Several local Pagan groups will have booths on Community Row with more information about their specific practices.
NPPD encompasses a wide spectrum of the local neo-Pagan Community. Three local neo-Pagan groups will present public rituals, and the festival will host over 60 vendors, many featuring handcrafted items. Additionally, there will be workshops covering topics related to Pagans and Paganism.
This year, NPPD’s organizers are proud that the event will feature two notable members of the Nashville Pagan Community: author and psychic Tish Owen and the International Pagan Music Association Female Artist of the Year for 2017, Rowena of the Glen. Tish will be the event’s Guest Witch of Honor, and she will be presenting a workshop based on her book Spell It Correctly at 2 PM. Rowena and her band will be performing at 1PM.
Admission is free, but NPPD is asking for donations of nonperishable food for Second Harvest Food Bank and nonperishable pet food and other pet supplies such as leashes, collars, toys, etc., for Middle Tennessee Pet Food Bank. They will also accept cash donations for both organizations. Last year over 900 people attended NPPD.
For more information, visit the event’s website nashvillepaganprideday.net and its Facebook page at facebook.com/Nashville-Pagan-Pride-60956474955. If you’re able to come out to the event, look for Out & About Nashville editor James Grady, who will be on site interviewing local LGBT pagans!