Leave it to the organizers of Atlanta Pride, one of the growing number of Pride festivals that takes place during the cooler and often less hectic autumn months, to come up with a fun roster of musical entertainment. There's always a good bunch performing on stage at this hugely well-attended event, which takes place October 13 and 14 this year. Headliners include a couple of longtime pop veterans with strong ties to the LGBT community, and in the case of Amy Ray of Indigo Girls fame, a well-established connection to Atlanta as well. Ray was born and raised in the attractive, and quite gay-friendly, Atlanta suburb of Decatur - she met Indigo Girls co-founder Emily Saliers while attending high school there (both eventually graduated from nearby Emory University).
Ray will be performing on Sunday at Atlanta Pride, while British synth-pop legend Andy Bell, formerly of Erasure and notable in his solo career as well, will entertain the crowds on Saturday. Other big names you can watch at Pride this year include singer Rita Ora, who topped the U.K. charts in 2012 with three number-one singles ("Hot Right Now", "How We Do (Party)", and "R.I.P."), and popular Pride favorites Crystal Waters and Kristine W.
For advice on where to party and celebrate throughout the weekend, check out the Atlanta Gay Bar Guide as well.