(Graphic via St Pete Pride)<\/p>\n
ST. PETERSBURG | St Pete Pride\u2019s<\/a> kickoff expands to an entire weekend May 29-31<\/a>, launching this year\u2019s 24th annual celebration with events in the Grand Central District<\/a> and at SkyBeach Resort.<\/p>\n Organizers say Florida\u2019s largest LGBTQ+ Pride welcomed over 400,000 people to St. Petersburg last June. This year\u2019s events run from the kickoff through June 28.<\/p>\n St Pete Pride 2026 is themed \u201cHere Comes the Sun,\u201d announced in January<\/a>. Executive Director Bior Guigni<\/a> advised this year\u2019s celebration will reflect \u201ca shared moment of emergence \u2014 where LGBTQIA+ people, allies and partners come together to illuminate Pride in every color.\u201d<\/p>\n Festivities will begin May 29 from 5-10 p.m. with a Friday Night Kickoff along Central Ave. in the Grand Central District, St Pete Pride\u2019s birthplace. Attendees are encouraged to \u201ccome early, stay late and celebrate with us as we kick off Pride season in true St. Pete style.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWe return to Grand Central to launch Pride Weekend where our roots run deep,\u201d St Pete Pride advises. \u201cAs evening falls, music and energy fill the streets, honoring the joy, visibility and community that sparked it all and set the tone for the weekend ahead.\u201d<\/p>\n A pickleball tournament, celebration and drag brunch will follow May 30-31 at SkyBeach Resort. The venue is offering St Pete Pride supporters an exclusive discounted rate<\/a> now through May 17.<\/p>\n The tournament will be held May 30 from 8 a.m.-1 p.m. and beginner, intermediate and advanced players are all welcome. The base price for individual tickets is $40 and team tickets are a base price of $75.<\/p>\n \u201cPlayers will compete in skill-based brackets designed to create a welcoming and exciting experience for everyone, with plenty of opportunities to rally, laugh, and make new connections on and off the court,\u201d St Pete Pride notes.<\/p>\n Tickets include tournament entry, access to activities and viewing areas and admission to a post-tournament beach party. St Pete Pride says that \u201cwhether you\u2019re playing to win or just here for the vibes, this is your chance to celebrate Pride, friendly competition and an unforgettable community atmosphere.\u201d<\/p>\n A free Sunset on the Beach Party will follow from 6-10 p.m.<\/p>\n \u201cAs the sun dips below the horizon, the beach comes alive with DJs, performers, dancing and high-energy entertainment,\u201d St Pete Pride says. \u201cExpect golden skies, ocean breezes and a celebration that keeps the energy flowing long after sunset.\u201d<\/p>\n Light bites will be provided with free registration and drinks will be available for purchase. St Pete Pride says to \u201ccome ready for music, movement, connection and a little magic on the beach.\u201d<\/p>\n The kickoff weekend will conclude May 31 from 11 a.m.-2 p.m. with a Sundays are a Drag Brunch. Tickets are a base price of $50 and include a breakfast buffet and local entertainment, with drinks available for purchase.<\/p>\n \u201cWrap up the weekend with sparkle, sass and standout performances at Sunday\u2019s Drag Brunch,\u201d it\u2019s described. \u201cBig personalities, bold looks and brunch favorites come together for a joyful daytime celebration of Pride.\u201d<\/p>\n Read more:<\/p>\n St Pete Pride festivities will continue through June. Its next signature event will be the all-ages Family Day, scheduled for June 7 from 10 a.m.-2 p.m. at the St. Pete Pier.<\/p>\n Learn more about St Pete Pride 2026 at StPetePride.org<\/a> and in the official guide, publishing soon from Watermark Out News<\/a>. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"(Graphic via St Pete Pride) ST. PETERSBURG | St Pete Pride\u2019s kickoff expands to an entire weekend May…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":271341,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[13],"tags":[84843,45223,39730,116232,116233,202,204,203,3939,199,201,200],"class_list":["post-271340","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-st-petersburg","tag-bior-guigni","tag-grand-central-district","tag-skybeach-resort","tag-st-pete-pride-2026","tag-st-pete-pride-24","tag-st-pete","tag-st-pete-headlines","tag-st-pete-news","tag-st-pete-pride","tag-st-petersburg","tag-st-petersburg-headlines","tag-st-petersburg-news"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/271340","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=271340"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/271340\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/271341"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=271340"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=271340"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=271340"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}