Rainbow Flag Goes Up In St. Pete Thursday

St. Petersburg, FL — St. Pete Pride weekend festivities officially kick off Thursday morning when Mayor Rick Kriseman plans to raise the rainbow flag over City Hall.

Kriseman is scheduled to raise the colors at 10 a.m. Thursday at the flag pole on the 175 Fifth St. N. City Hall’s northeast lawn.

The raising of the flag signals the start of the last big hoorahs of St. Pete Pride, a month-long celebration that takes place each June. The weekend’s festivities include an illuminated night parade in the Kenwood and Grand Central districts on Saturday, June 25 and a street festival on Sunday, June 26.

In light of the June 12 mass shooting in Orlando, the city of St. Petersburg has announced plans to beef up security around this year’s festivities. In making that announcement, the St. Petersburg Police Department noted it cannot do it alone.

“If you see something, say something,” the agency reminded on Twitter.

Forty-nine people were killed in the June 12 shooting when Omar Mateen opened fire inside the Pulse Orlando Night Club & Ultra Bar. The popular gay bar was near capacity when shots rang out around 2 a.m. that Sunday. Fifty-three people were also wounded in the attack.

Mateen's rampage, described as the worst mass shooting in U.S. history, has been classified as an act of terror by the federal government. The shooter called 911 to declare his allegiance to ISIS, officials have said.

About St. Pete Pride

St. Pete Pride is the city's annual celebration of the Tampa Bay area's LGBT community.

"The purpose of St Pete Pride is to promote unity, visibility, self-esteem and a positive image of and among the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) community of Tampa Bay and throughout the State of Florida by way of cultural and educational programs and activities," the organization explains on its website. St. Petersburg's annual Pride festivities are the biggest in Florida and among the largest in the country, organizers say.

This year’s annual LGBT Pride Parade steps off at sunset Saturday along Central Avenue. The parade features more than 150 organizations and businesses and is expected to have more than 4,500 marchers. It draws more than 200,000 people each year, according to St. Pete Pride.

While the parade doesn’t start until sunset, the Saturday Block Party begins at 5 p.m. This event features food, drinks, live music and more. It’s staged between 22nd and 27th streets along Central Avenue. The block party is scheduled to run until 11 p.m. or so.

Sunday’s Pride Festival takes place along Central Avenue from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. More than 350 exhibitors are expected to line both sides of Central Avenue for six blocks during the celebration, which features DJs, food, beverages and other vendors.

For more information about St. Pete Pride, visit its website.

Image via Shutterstock