ABOVE: Tampa Pride 2019 supporters in Ybor. Photo by Dylan Todd.
TAMPA | Tampa Pride will return to Ybor May 22 for a full day’s worth of in-person events that organizers hope will safely unite the LGBTQ community after more than a year apart.
The celebration’s last outing welcomed an estimated 60,000 people to Tampa March 30, 2019, a record which officials expected to break March 28, 2020. Festivities were ultimately postponed until this year because of COVID-19.
“After 26 months, it feels great to be back,” Tampa Pride President Carrie West says. “This has been one of the bumpiest rides ever trying to put on this event, but we understand with COVID and a lot of other organizations still putting events off. It’s just been unbelievable.”
The Tampa Pride board maintained constant communication throughout the course of the year, utilizing virtual means to plan for the event’s eventual return. As last year’s outing was postponed just 16 days ahead of what would have been its sixth annual event, many plans were already in place.
West says that he’s long been hopeful for a 2021 return, particularly as vaccines have become more available. He also points to Super Bowl LV, held in Tampa Feb. 7. The game welcomed 25,000 people to the game itself, with city-sanctioned events including a boat parade following.
“That gave us the most hope,” he explains. “The genie was out of the bottle when the Super Bowl was here. People were coming from all over into Tampa. We were very cautious in what we did but decided to move forward.”
Initially the plan was to do so March 27, but Tampa Pride opted to move forward with its alternative date instead. “We thought that would be way too soon to have a concert and parade,” West explains. “So we gave the city the May 22 date. About a week after that, Tampa said there wouldn’t be anymore events in February or March, so we did the right thing.
“A lot of events were still getting cancelled, but the city said to just move forward and plan as if it was going to happen, so we did,” he continues. “We set course and set procedures, with Tampa General Hospital coming on board very much as our medical sponsor and partner.”
The hospital has partnered with businesses and organizations throughout Tampa Bay in a number of ways this year, including through its Prevention Response Outreach program. The service offers the hospital’s expertise in infection prevention as organizations emerge from shutdowns.
“They’ve done wonders,” West says. “They’re going to be furnishing masks for all of the vendors in the area and supply them for everyone that’s in the parade as well. There will be hand sanitizers and temperature checks and of course our other medical partner is Metro Inclusive Health. They’ve been with us from day one and we greatly appreciate the support of these two groups.”
Other health partners will also be present. West notes that the celebration’s Health & Wellness Fair will return, featuring the Florida Dept. of Health in Hillsborough County, Moffitt Cancer Center and more.
“That’s number one in our hearts,” West notes. “Keeping the community safe.” He adds that Tampa Pride is expecting at least a 40% reduction in capacity this year, given that large corporations won’t be participating and some individuals remain uncomfortable with in-person festivities.
Even with fewer attendees, however, Tampa Pride will be bigger than ever – an expansion made possible in part by The Cuban Club in Ybor. The four-story structure was built in 1917 and has served as a unifying base of operations for those in need ever since.
The club will serve as the new home of the official Tampa Pride stage, welcoming an impressive array of activists, politicians and performers throughout the day and into the evening both inside and out. Organizers will utilize its courtyard – which can welcome up to 4,500 people in its impressive 40,000 square feet – and its first floor, highlighting partner organizations, vendors and sponsors while offering a variety of food options, liquor and beer.
Festivities will begin at 10:45 a.m. with a street festival, which in addition to the health and wellness fair will feature an Artisans Fair on 9th Ave. It will be held until 6 p.m., coinciding with appearances and entertainment at the Cuban Club and the Diversity Parade along 7th Ave.
More than 140 floats and walkers will move along the route until at least 7 p.m., leading into the inaugural Pride at Night featuring headliner Martha Wash and more. Look for our interview with the “It’s Raining Men” diva in the issue of Watermark publishing May 13 and view the official Tampa Pride guide the same day for more information about events and entertainment.
“Be cautious and take this health incident as a major factor,” West says. “Be careful, wash your hands and wear a mask. But Tampa Pride is known as the fun pride and we want to continue that tradition, so come out and have fun. We’ll see you at Tampa Pride May 22, all day long!”
For more information about Tampa Pride, visit TampaPride.org.
