Pride weekend brings people from around the country to St. Pete

Graffiti Artist Pete Lopez has spent St. Pete Pride weekend spray-painting shirts and even people with the colors of the rainbow and messages of love and acceptance. 

"Everybody's just so friendly and open, and whatever's on their mind, put it on a shirt, and I do it," Lopez stressed.

He traveled from Orlando to be here and has an international flight to catch early Monday morning, but he said he wouldn't dare skip the business and the energy St. Pete Pride brings.

"I would not miss this. I'm going to go straight from here, shower, and get on a plane," Lopez laughed. 

St. Pete Pride is one of the largest celebrations in the entire country and boasts two to three events every week throughout June.

READ: Thousands gathered in St. Pete on Saturday to celebrate the LGBTQ+ community

This weekend alone has brought record turnout from the parade to packed bars and restaurants that line the city like Grand Central block party sponsor Cocktail St. Pete.

"It's astronomical," said Director of Operations Melvin Theriault. 

"Especially this year with everything that's going on in the world, we've seen record numbers here at Cocktail St. Pete." 

According to data from Visit St. Pete/Clearwater and their research partners, last year's month-long pride festivities brought in a total economic impact of $64.3 million, with about $40 million going directly into the registers of local shops. 

St. Pete Pride Board of Directors VP Byron Green said this year's parade is also expected to surpass last year's 300,000 spectators that come from around the city, county, and beyond state lines.

READ: St. Pete Pride: Florida’s largest LGBTQ+ celebration kicks off with more than 100,000 attendees expected

"We had a lot of people reach out to us preemptively to say,' Hey, I really feel like this is the year I need to be there,'" Green added. "They said, 'I haven't come in years passed, but this year I really need to show up for my people.'" 

Organizers like Board President, Tiffany Freisberg, said she's seen celebration and unity ignite more than ever as these festivities come amid renewed political attacks against the LGBTQ+ community in Florida.

"It can get you down," Freisberg said. "But then you come to an event, and you just see the spirit and atmosphere and vibe not just by the community, but our allies, and it just gives you a renewed sense of hope." 

St. Petersburg