st. PETERSBURG, Fla. (WFLA) — The St. Pete Pride Festival will begin Friday and be attended by hundreds of thousands.
Organizers said safety is the main focus. There will be a huge crowd for this massive celebration. St. Pete police said they will work round the clock to keep people safe at events.
This includes continuing to monitor the crowd using the latest technology.
The streets of downtown St. Pete are once again filled with celebrations of inclusiveness as the state’s biggest pride party progresses.
“Everyone has fun, a lot of people dress up, everyone has who they are, and that doesn’t matter,” said Patty Bradfield, owner of Dream Piece.
Saint Pete Police said safety is a top priority as hundreds of thousands of people are expected to celebrate the three-day celebration.
“This year, we are becoming more aware of some concerns about the right issues domestically and internationally. So, more than this year, we are working with state and federal partners in case there is any threat,” said St. Pete’s spokesperson Yolanda Fernandez.
To ensure the crowds can safely celebrate, police said this year they will use drones to monitor the parade from above. They will also deploy officers within the city.
“We put police officers on our bikes along the parade route. We march in golf carts, police cars, new uniforms, parades, outside the parade, outside the parade, masked, wearing regular clothes, so we don’t know that officers are police officers,” Fernandez said.
For businesses in the region, pride is one of the busiest and most advantageous times of the year.
“It just grows, I can’t even explain to you how it has changed over the years.
The event is especially important this year for businesses that have lost money in the rays that can’t play at Tropicana Stadium.
The boutiques and bars are all in stock and ready to welcome the crowds.
“Many vendors, streets are closed, there are drag queens, there are dancers. There are family celebrations and we gather as the city of St. Petersburg to celebrate and support everyone as an inclusive city.”
It all starts at Jannas Live on a Friday night at 6pm. There will be parades, marches and street fairs throughout the weekend. For more information about the festival, click here.
