ORLANDO, Fla. \u2013 The city of Orlando hosted more than 200,000 people at the 21st annual Come Out With Pride celebration on Saturday.<\/p>\n
The event, recognized as one of the largest Pride festivals in the Southeastern U.S., generated an estimated $30 million economic impact in 2024.<\/p>\n
Come Out With Pride features all-day entertainment and begins Friday at noon in Lake Eola Park.<\/p>\n
[WATCH BELOW: Come Out With Pride festival in downtown Orlando features parade, fireworks]<\/p>\n
Parts of Orange Avenue, Central Boulevard, Rosalind Avenue and Robinson Street will be closed during \u201cThe Most Colorful Parade,\u201d which starts at 4 p.m.<\/p>\n
The festival will conclude with a fireworks finale at 9:30 p.m.<\/p>\n
Organizers of the celebration said its goal is to change hearts and minds \u2014 and make it possible for everyone in the LGBTQIA+ community and our allies to live authentically.<\/p>\n
Come Out With Pride will also take place less than two months after the Florida Department of Transportation repainted the Pulse memorial crosswalk <\/a>to comply with new state and federal guidelines.<\/p>\n [WATCH PREVIOUS COVERAGE BELOW]<\/p>\n Christine Hanavan was outside Pulse on Thursday and said she\u2019s been frustrated by the state\u2019s actions.<\/p>\n \u201cThe point of it seems to be, they don\u2019t want this message,\u201d Hanavan said. \u201cNo matter how many times you try to wash away symbols, water brings rainbows.\u201d<\/p>\n Hanavan said she plans to attend Come Out With Pride and hopes it will serve as a gathering of unity and support.<\/p>\n \u201cWe need to be standing together as a community and staying strong,\u201d she said. \u201cWe have to remember the roots of pride are that we\u2019re fighting for our community and for justice.\u201d<\/p>\n