Pride guide 2023: Who, what, where and how

The big weekend is finally here.

St. Pete Pride events have been going on all month, but all roads, really, have been leading to today and Sunday. The 21st annual St. Pete parade – the largest LGBTQ+ parade in the state – starts at 6 p.m. today at Albert Whitted Park, moving north along Bayshore Drive to its culmination at Vinoy Park.

Organizers expect somewhere in the neighborhood of 300,000 visitors (and participants) at the parade and at the afternoon’s Pride Festival in North Straub Park and Vinoy Park.

The Trans March, in Vinoy Park, will step off (commence) at 5:15 p.m.

Pride Executive Director Nicole Berman said today’s events – along with Sunday’s Grand Central Street Fair – will be very much family-friendly. She is grateful for the full support of the City of St. Petersburg.

“We’ve met with the City, their legal team and our legal team, and we are in agreement with each other that Pride can happen in the confines of the law,” Berman said on the Catalyst’s Arts Alive! podcast.

“And we can make it a celebratory event, we can make it a safe, inclusive space, and honestly we can do a lot of the things that we have always done – because we’ve always operated within the confines of making sure that things are appropriate for all ages. Our events have always been open-air, open to the public, and we’re always very conscious that we have young people, and we wan to make sure that we’re abiding by any and all laws and regulations.”

Today’s festival begins at 2 p.m. In North Straub, look for a variety of local vendors, food trucks, DJs and a beer garden.

Malaysia Babydoll Foxx, from Season 15 of “RuPaul’s Drag Race,” will perform on the Vinoy Park mainstage. Photo provided.

The main entertainment stage will be located in Vinoy Park:

2 p.m. Dj Donnie Luv

2:10 p.m. CrownZ

2:40 p.m. Madison the Doll

2:55 p.m. Prince Elijah Valentino Iman

3:05 p.m. Slam Anderson

3:20 p.m. Anarkity

3:50 p.m. Live Hart

4:20 p.m. Zendaddy

4:50 p.m. Quin Killin

5:05 p.m. Brianna Summers

5:15 p.m. Rico Xann

5:45 p.m. Queen Sheba

6:00 p.m. Dj Nightwing

6:00 p.m. Little Roddy Ranger

6:30 p.m. Akeem Woods

6:50 p.m. Shevonne and The Force

7:30 p.m. DJ Nightwing

7:40 p.m. Pride Court- Mx, Ms, Mr. St Pete

8:10 p.m. Malaysia Babydoll

8:40 p.m. DJ Nightwing

8:50 p.m. Meet Me At The Altar

For the Grand Central Street Fair, from noon to 5 p.m. Sunday, eight blocks of Central Avenue will be closed to vehicular traffic. Look for entertainment, vendors, food, community partners and interactive games.

Entertainment on the mainstage, at the Cocktail Bar (2355 Central) will include national entertainers Tiffany and Sheena Easton. Read the Catalyst interview with Easton here.

Getting there

All PSTA bus service is free for riders today. For tips on public transportation, parking and other moving-about matters, check this handy guide supplied by the City of St. Petersburg.