Thousands expected to attend St. Pete pride festivities
ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. (WFLA) — Thousands of people are expected to attend St. Pete Pride events this weekend.
It all kicks off with a concert Friday night at Jannus Live.
Pride Guide: Everything you need to know about St. Pete Pride weekend
Everyone in downtown St. Pete is gearing up for the anticipated 300,000 people to flood the streets.
According to organizers, like Clifford Hobbes, this event is all about people embracing who they are.
“Over the years, we’ve gotten more inclusive, pride represents the community in which it serves, we see a lot of different shades of pride, you know, it’s gotten bigger, we’ve added more events,” he said.
Some new events are “Generations of Pride” and “Rhythms of Pride.”
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For Saturday, everyone should gather at North & South Straub Park. Artists will be performing on the main stage and community stage all day beginning at 2 p.m. The Trans March steps off at 5:30 p.m. followed by the Pride Parade at 6 p.m.
The Trans March will intersect with the parade along Bayshore Drive.
St. Pete police are bringing out all the stops to ensure a safe celebration. They will have surveillance systems, officers both in and out of uniform, and license plate readers.
“We’ll be playing through every scenario possible; we’ll sleep Tuesday after this event. Again, a lot of things could go wrong, but we’re just going to make sure we’re prepared for when it does happen, we’re ready to react,” said Chief Anthony Holloway.
Local businesses along downtown are also preparing for the influx of people.
“We’re going to see a lot of activity down here, especially since we’re so close to North Straub Park,” said Linda Albrecht, who works at Sweet Divas Candy Shop.
“We make sure that our cases are full, we make sure we have ice cream, and extra ice cream in the freezer. We get busy, on a day like with this weather that we’re having, ice cream is a big seller here.”
Organizers said they are happy to have a welcoming environment and a place where they feel safe to celebrate who they are.
It’s better on the outside, it’s like a weight has been lifted once you come out. You might experience some people that don’t, but it’s mostly going to be love. So, step out of the closet,” Hobbes said.
There will be free parking at Tropicana Field and St. Pete High School. The parade and festival will be from 2 p.m. to 10 p.m. on Saturday.
For a full list of activities, click here.
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