Mayor Rick Kriseman, one of the celebration’s earliest supporters, shared that he understood the decision. More than 265,000 people are estimated to have attended St Pete Pride 2019, creating an economic impact of $67.2 million on the city of St. “However, the level of uncertainty and lack of clear guidance from experts prompted the decision to cancel as the Board deemed the health and safety of our community, both near and far, most important.” “The initial hope was to postpone these events,” St Pete Pride’s statement continues.
“After careful consideration and thorough exploration of alternatives with the city of St Petersburg, the Board of St Pete Pride has made the difficult decision to cancel all large in-person events,” the organization shared May 21. Organizers initially postponed this year’s celebration until the fall to work with city officials on securing new dates.
The 18th annual outing was originally scheduled for June 26-28. PETERSBURG | St Pete Pride, Florida’s largest LGBTQ Pride celebration, has cancelled its 2020 festivities in response to COVID-19. ABOVE: St Pete Pride supporters enjoy 2019’s parade.