ABOVE: St Pete Pride President Nathan Bruemmer (R) and Mayor Rick Kriseman announce PrideFest at Vinoy Park April 12. Photo by Ryan Williams-Jent.
ST. PETERSBURG | St Pete Pride detailed its 2021 return on April 12, a month’s worth of reimagined events in lieu of the traditional festivities that have made it Florida’s largest LGBTQ celebration.
St Pete Pride 2020 was projected to welcome at least 275,000 people to St. Petersburg. The 18th annual celebration was cancelled due to COVID-19 and will now return throughout June 2021 as PrideFest.
“This year in hosting St Pete PrideFest we were challenged by hosting in 2019, over 265,000 people in our waterfront and down in the Grand Central district over just a number of days,” St Pete Pride President Nathan Bruemmer shared during a press conference. “We met with the city over many, many months about how we could ensure the health and safety and wellbeing of our community but also honor our mission.
“We are doing that by celebrating all month long through St Pete PrideFest,” he continued, “where we will enjoy each week, a different theme and anchor with a flagship event each Saturday at a different location showcasing the beautiful parts of our city.”
Bruemmer was joined by St. Petersburg Mayor Rick Kriseman and event sponsors in detailing the celebration’s reimagined 19th season. Described as “Pride with a twist,” organizers shared that they have worked diligently to design a creative, safe way to celebrate given the ongoing pandemic. They also noted the majority of events will be ticketed to enforce capacity regulations.
Pride season will unofficially begin May 23 with the 12th annual Miss St Pete Pride Pageant, scheduled for 6 p.m. at Postcard Inn on the Beach before the official 10 a.m. raising of the Pride flag at City Hall June 1. PrideFest’s Kickoff Reception will follow June 3 at Sirata Beach Resort from 6-9 p.m.
The four themed weeks will begin with Outdoor Adventure Week June 5. Its signature event will be Pride OUTside at Vinoy Park from 7 a.m.-2 p.m. and highlight St. Petersburg’s great outdoors as for $5 per ticket.
Pride Run St. Pete, described as a 5K and Diva Dash, will also begin and end along the waterfront from 7-10 a.m. Races include a timed 5K with a youth category, a virtual 5K and untimed, 100-yard dash for divas wearing heels.
Family Week begins June 12 and will highlight St. Pete Pier and North and South Straub Parks from 11 a.m.-5 p.m. for $5 per ticket. “LGBTQ families and allies will gather at the Pier for a celebration of diverse family life in St. Pete,” it’s officially described. “Be delighted by street performers, youth bands and dance companies.”
Arts & Music Week kicks off June 19 at The Factory for $5 per ticket. The eight-acre Warehouse Arts District space will feature main stage performances and more from local organizations.
Taste of PrideFest Week will close out the month with a Pride Picnic on June 26 from 2-9 p.m. Fireworks will be presented by Truelieve at dusk, inviting attendees “to spend an evening along the beautiful bayside waterfront, enjoying picnics, musical performances and a fireworks display that will cap off PrideFest in dramatic fashion.”
Kriseman applauded St Pete Pride’s dedication to the safely serving the community following the announcement. The mayor noted that the St. Petersburg staple “is more than just a parade and more than just the events, it’s what it represents and how it defines us as a community.
“Celebrating Pride and recognizing the important role that the LGBTQ community plays here in St. Pete is really important,” he continued. “While there isn’t going to be the parade this year … we want to encourage people to participate in the events, and you can do so safely. That’s incredibly important to us as we go forward.”
In addition to June’s signature events, St Pete Pride’s community partners are encouraged to present scaled down gatherings throughout the month. The experiences will be designed to give the community the opportunity to gather, educate and celebrate Pride while ensuring the safety of all involved.
“This is an open invitation for our entire community across the region to enjoy and celebrate the beautiful diversity of St. Petersburg,” Bruemmer concluded.
Tickets for St Pete Pride’s 2021 PrideFest go on sale May 1. For more details about each event, visit StPetePride.org.
