First responders preparing for large crowds ahead of St. Pete Pride Festival this weekend

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. - The City of St. Petersburg is preparing for one of its biggest events of the year.

The St. Pete Pride Festival kicks off Friday and runs through Sunday. The St. Pete Pride Parade on Bayshore Drive, which is the main event, is on Saturday evening.

First responders expect 200,000 people to fill the streets of downtown St. Pete on Saturday.

St. Pete Pride’s President said this celebration is the largest Pride celebration in the Southeast region.

"Our pride organization and this event is an event that is centered on joy and celebrating with our allies and with the people that identify in the community," Dr. Byron Green-Calisch, the St. Pete Pride President said.

The St. Pete Police Department and St. Pete Fire Rescue said this weekend’s events mean it’s all hands on deck for their agencies.

"Anything from a Band-Aid to a catastrophic event, we’re prepared for all of it," Capt. Garth Swingle, with St. Pete Fire Rescue said.

Event organizers said the Pride festivities begin Friday with a concert in downtown St. Pete, followed by a festival with vendors and entertainment on Saturday afternoon, the parade Saturday evening and a street festival with more vendors and entertainment on Sunday.

"We are going to have security at the entrance, so there will only be one entrance to where you can engage with the parade watching," Green-Calisch said. "We will be wanding people down."

The parade is free to attend. Event organizers said clear bags are encouraged, but not required.

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They also encourage people to walk or bike downtown. If you’re driving, you’re encouraged to park in a garage.

Green-Calisch said the gates to the parade and outdoor events on Saturday open at 2 p.m.

The St. Pete Pride Trans March beings at 5:30 p.m. The Pride Parade begins at 6 p.m. and will run along Bayshore Drive, from Al Lang Stadium to the Vinoy Hotel.

On Saturday, event organizers said cars will not be let in or out of the St. Pete Pier and Demens Landing Park after 4 p.m.

Police encourage people to get downtown early.

"We’ll have our command center that day, and our command staff and our officers, we’ll be playing through every scenario possible." St. Pete Police Chief Anthony Holloway said.

Chief Holloway said there will be uniformed officers and officers in plain clothes stationed throughout downtown St. Pete. He said they will also have patrol units on the water.

St. Pete Fire Rescue crews will also be stationed around downtown this weekend in even larger numbers than last year.

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Capt. Garth Swingle says between the crowds and the hot temperatures, it’s a recipe for heat-related illnesses.

He encourages everyone to hydrate before, during and after the events.

"We definitely have quite a few resources," Swingle said. "We also have a bunch of ambulances on standby. And we have the medical tents, as well, that are throughout with cooling stations."

Police said there are no credible threats to the events, but they’ll continue to monitor that throughout the weekend.

"Come. Enjoy yourself, but don’t break the law, because we will enforce the law," Holloway said.

Event organizers said there will be private security, in addition to the St. Pete Police Department, on site at the parade.

To find more information about St. Pete Pride events, click here.

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