ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. (WFLA)\u00a0\u2014 An estimated 350,000 people packed downtown St. Petersburg on Saturday for the city\u2019s 24th annual Pride celebration.<\/p>\n
Crowds lined the streets as marchers made their way through downtown, while attendees filled food vendors, local businesses and entertainment areas throughout the day.<\/p>\n
For many, the event was a celebration of community and acceptance.<\/p>\n
\u201cThere\u2019s no judgment here,\u201d Sarasota resident Caitlin Hemulth said. \u201cEveryone feels comfortable whatever they want to do, and no one judges you.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s one of the best days of mine \u2014 I mean, the whole month,\u201d Hemulth\u2019s partner, Jermyla Trebbles of Sarasota, added. \u201cI love this.\u201d<\/p>\n
Jesus Moreno, a Tampa resident and nurse practitioner with Harmony Healthcare, attended with his husband.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe\u2019re coming up on 15 years being together next month, so being able to be out here celebrating with other people of our community is something that we really enjoy,\u201d Moreno said. \u201cWe have four children, and so bringing them up in a house full of love, and we get to see that here as well.\u201d<\/p>\n
Organizers said putting on this year\u2019s event was challenging after falling well short of their fundraising goal.<\/p>\n
\u201cUnfortunately, we still were about $146,000 short of our fundraising goal,\u201d St. Pete Pride President Dr. Bryon Green-Calisch said. \u201cI had to shift some things. I had to rearrange some things. But this behind me \u2014 we were always going to have Pride no matter what.\u201d<\/p>\n
Attendees said they were thankful the celebration went on despite what they described as growing resistance toward LGBTQ+ communities in Florida.<\/p>\n
\u201cThis is Florida, honey,\u201d said Charles Bland, clinic practice manager with Harmony Healthcare. \u201cThey come in with rules against us, with voting and redistricting. You can\u2019t even have someone painting a rainbow flag in the street anymore. It is criminal.\u201d<\/p>\n
Last summer, the Florida Department of Transportation directed that street murals on state-owned roads be removed<\/a>. At the time, Gov. Ron DeSantis said, \u201cWe will not allow our state roads to be commandeered for political purposes.\u201d<\/p>\n Earlier this year, DeSantis also signed legislation<\/a> that takes effect in January, prohibiting counties and municipalities from funding diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives, saying, \u201cFloridians should not be forced to pay for radical climate agendas or identity politics with their hard-earned tax dollars.\u201d<\/p>\n Green-Calisch said producing St. Pete Pride costs between $500,000 and $700,000 each year. To help close this year\u2019s funding gap, volunteers encouraged attendees to contribute $1.<\/p>\n \u201cI told you that we\u2019ll have about 350,000 people that will be here,\u201d Green-Calisch said. \u201cIf everyone gave $1, it really would help us secure that future Pride.\u201d<\/p>\n Green-Calisch said the annual celebration also serves as a reminder of Pride\u2019s origins.<\/p>\n \u201cI want to say this with my whole chest: Pride was a riot,\u201d he said. \u201cWe started here because we were fighting back against an oppressive government that was looking to dictate how queer people showed up in public spaces. Years later, we are still in that moment.\u201d<\/p>\n The weekend celebration concludes Sunday with the \u2018St. Pete Pride Street Fair on Central\u2019<\/a> along Central Avenue from noon to 5 p.m.<\/p>\n Copyright 2026 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.<\/p>\n