In 1978, nine years after the Stonewall riots ignited the gay rights movement, Jacksonville held its first Gay Pride Festival with a vibrant picnic at Willow Branch Park. This marked the city’s entrance into the nationwide movement of being out and proud. Following this historic event, the Lesbian & Gay Community Center of Jacksonville (LGCAJ) was founded, later receiving its 501(c)(3) status in November 1989.

In the years that followed, LGCAJ evolved into an umbrella organization, supporting numerous community service projects and serving as a foundation for other nonprofit initiatives in Jacksonville. These included Out & About, Jacksonville Gay Pride, Unity Leadership, Safe Schools Coalition, The Lesbian Breast Cancer Outreach Project, and the First Coast Chorus, each of which became pivotal in fostering inclusivity and support within the community.

In 1999, the future of LGCAJ appeared uncertain as many board members departed to pursue other ventures, and some were tragically lost to the AIDS epidemic. With the organization in a state of limbo, attorney Kim Blankenship stepped in to restore the organization and the Jacksonville Gay Pride Committee. As part of this revitalization, the organization was rebranded as Community Rainbows, Inc., marking a new chapter in its history.

At the close of 2001, the Jacksonville Gay Pride Committee evolved into First Coast Pride, Inc., taking on the umbrella organization and revitalizing the Out & About newspaper as Out In The City. That year also marked the final Pride Festival at the fairgrounds, with the festival relocating to Sea Walk Pavilion in Jacksonville Beach in 2002.

In 2008, First Coast Pride, Inc. rebranded as Merge, Inc., with the festival moving to Riverside Park. Prior to this reorganization, several initiatives were housed under the 501(c)(3) umbrella of Community Rainbows, Inc., including First Coast Pride, Out in the City, the NEFL Names Project, the FCP HIV Testing Project, the Ray Castro Foundation of the Arts, MyOITC.com community portal, and Steppin' Out Networking Socials.

Despite attracting the largest crowd in its 30-year history for the parade, block party, and a successful scaled-back festival, 2008 marked the end of Pride celebrations in Jacksonville. The financial strain from low revenue led to the final year of the Pride festival, while dwindling ad revenue and the inability to secure an editor-in-chief resulted in the closure of Out in the City.

In 2009, First Coast Pride/Merge, Inc. was disbanded. With most board members resigning for personal reasons and no funding due to a lack of leadership in securing sponsorships, the organization struggled to recover. Attempts to revive it were hampered by unsubstantiated rumors and allegations of significant debt, ultimately leading to the cancellation of all Pride activities that year.

In 2010, Jerry Rosenberg rallied a group of passionate individuals with a shared vision to revive a Pride organization in Jacksonville. Thus, River City Pride was born. Starting with no funds, the LGBT community worked together to re-establish the Pride Parade and Pride Festival in October 2010, aligning with Coming Out Day. Through their collective efforts, the organization raised enough money to fund the 2010 events and continue the tradition into 2011.

In 2017, River City Pride achieved a significant milestone by operating under its own 501(c)(3) nonprofit status.

2019 marked a historic and iconic year for the LGBT community as it celebrated the 50th anniversary of the Stonewall Uprising, a pivotal moment in the birth of the modern LGBT movement. While LGBT elders fought for acceptance long before 1969, the Stonewall riots sparked a cultural shift that ignited a revolution. Although strides have been made toward LGBT equality, many LGBT elders—the pioneers of the movement who fought through the AIDS crisis and the battle for marriage equality—continue to advocate for their right to age with dignity, respect, and the freedom to live openly. In recognition of this legacy, River City Pride honored the 50th anniversary of Stonewall, celebrating the progress made thanks to those who stood up for their rights.

2019 also marked the largest turnout in River City Pride’s history, with record-breaking attendance at the Parade, Block Party, Festival, and Cabaret. The 2019 River City Pride Parade, presented by Bank of America, achieved a historic milestone with over 100 parade entries, including corporate sponsors, local vendors, bars, sporting groups, marching bands, churches, and even 2020 Democratic nominees. The River City Pride Block Party, presented by CAN Community HealthCare, had an electrifying atmosphere, starting at 2 PM and keeping the streets alive with music and dancing until 10 PM. The River City Pride Festival & Cabaret, presented by Winn-Dixie, was the best yet, featuring a star-studded Cabaret Show with unforgettable performances by:

Chad Michaels (#1 Cher impersonator, winner of RuPaul’s Drag Race All-Stars), OneUp Duo from NBC’s The Voice, Alexis Mateo and Kennedy Davenport from RuPaul’s Drag Race & All-Stars, Judas Joe Manson (#1 Lady Gaga impersonator), Spikey Van Dykey, Dana Douglas, Karrissa Wade, and Chasity Ross Boen, among others.

In 2020, the world faced an unprecedented challenge with the COVID-19 pandemic. As cases and fatalities surged, Jax River City Pride made the difficult decision to cancel or postpone the Festival & Cabaret, Parade, Block Party, Mr. and Miss River City Pride Pageant, and other fundraising events to prioritize the health and safety of our community.

By 2021, with vaccines becoming widely available, River City Pride worked closely with the city to explore ways to host a safe and inclusive event. A proposal for the 2021 Pride celebration was submitted to the city review board, with a plan to consolidate all scheduled events into a single day in October 2021 to adapt to the ongoing uncertainties of the pandemic.

In2023, Jax River City Pride made history by welcoming its first-ever sitting mayor as Grand Marshal. Donna Deegan, Jacksonville’s 45th mayor and the city's first woman mayor, proudly led the parade, marking a milestone moment for both the event and the community. We also welcomed Deutsche Bank as our Pride Presenting Sponsor, welcoming the beginning on a beautiful partnership that collaborated with JaxRCPride for the entire year.

In 2024, Five Points, the heart of the parade route, unveiled Jacksonville’s first-ever rainbow walkways, a vibrant and lasting symbol of Pride and inclusivity. Once again, Deutsche Bank continued its support of our LGBTQIA+ community and JaxRCPride as our Presenting Sponsor, also introducing one of the largest floats by partnering with Equality Florida.