Nashville will celebrate 19 years of Pride the week of May 28 to June 1, with the pride week ending with the annual Nashville Pride Festival at Centennial Park on Satruday, June 2.

Pridefest has continued to grow year after year with more than 15,000 in attendance last year. But events like these don’t come cheap - to help offset the costs of the event, the Nashville Pride board of directors has announced two fundraising events they hope will prove to be entertaining for the community and help raise the needed monies.

“Nashville is so very fortunate that our Pridefest continues to grow year after year,” says Nashville Pride board president Todd Grantham. “But sadly, the cost of carrying out such a phenomenal event also continues to grow. That is why we must turn to the members of our community to help us with the soaring costs that might otherwise prevent us from carrying out the stellar Pridefest that Nashville has come to know and love.”

The first fundraiser this year will be “Turnabout.” The event, now in its fifth year, will be held at PLAY Dance Bar beginning at 9:00 p.m. on Friday, March 30. According to Grantham, 2007’s “Turnabout” will be a community event as other GLBT organizations join in on the night of fun.

“In year’s past, ‘Turnabout’ primarily consisted of members of the Nashville Pride Board performing show numbers. This year, however, I am proud to say that we also have commitments from several other organizations including The Conductors, the Smokey Mountain Rodeo Association and the Nashville Grizzlies Rugby Team to name just a few,” says Grantham. “I’m expecting this year’s ‘Turnabout’ to be even more exciting and entertaining than last year’s.”

The second fundraising event is “Martinis and Jazz.” This event is in its fourth year and is slated for Friday, April 27. More information on the event will be released soon, so check O&AN’s Web site and the April issue for further details.

As the festival has grown, so has the need for more involvement from the community. Nashville Pride is looking for people to give of their time, talent and treasure. If you’re interested in supporting Nashville Pride and being a part of the biggest GLBT event in Tennessee, contact tgrantham@nashvillepride.org or 615-497-9654.

For more information on the 19th annual Pridefest or the organization visit Nashville Pride’s Web site at www.nashvillepride.org.