ST. PETERSBURG, Fla.-- As pride weekend festivities arrived in St. Pete, businesses were thankful for the additional foot traffic.
Organizers say the annual event brought more than 200,000 people to Tampa Bay for Florida’s largest pride celebration.
As people filled the streets of St. Pete in celebration of Pride month, local restaurants and bars had another reason to celebrate -- more business.
“I just think it’s great. It brings so many people into the area. I mean look at this place, it's packed,” John Racord said.
Many of the businesses welcome the diversity and the economic boost.
“It encourages people to come out more. So, a lot of people that we’d never see on an actual weekend come out for the parade and we love it,” said Mark Papy at Copper Shake Bar.
With the annual celebration now in its 16th year, the city of St. Pete has become known for its acceptance.
Even Mayor Rick Kriseman, who participated in the parade, echoed a message of love and equality.
“The best part is seeing the entire community come out to celebrate. This is what St.Pete is all about,” he said.
For parade-goers, it’s a reason to not only take part in the festivities but also stick around and check out what else the city has to offer.
“Florida is the place to be. Downtown is great. Especially St. Pete,” One patron said. “Everyone is happy and having a good time.”
Organizers say the pride parade has grown into a multi-day destination event. The latest numbers from 2016 boasts an economic impact of more than $22-million for the Bay area which includes hotels, restaurants and stores.
“I know people coming from all over the state. People come from out of the state to come here. It’s getting the reputation as one of the biggest pride celebrations in all of America,” Racord said.
A big payoff from a big group happy to share the love in a city accepting them. This year’s pride festival included five days of activities. Organizers say more than half of the parade goers are from out of town.
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