After a 13 year long “hiatus”, Tampa Pride made its comeback in Ybor City. 7th and 8th Avenue were filled to capacity with every spectrum within the LGBTQ community and their supporters. Emerging on the heels of Florida’s lift on the same-sex marriage ban, Tampa Pride returning was even more a celebration for all the great things happening in Tampa Bay now. The grand marshals were City of Tampa Police Chief Jane Castor, and owner of Hamburger Mary’s Tampa/Clearwater, Kurt King.
The event itself featured a parade, festival, auto show, family fun area, food trucks, and a beer garden, with every bar and restaurant lining the streets displaying their rainbow flags in support. Festival vendors opened at 10am on 8th Avenue between 15th Street & 17th Street, while the 90 minute parade and general merriment went down at 1pm on 7th Avenue, from Nuccio Boulevard to 20th Street.
Official sponsors included: The City of Tampa, GaYbor District, tbt, Cox Media Group, HOT 101.5, Centro Ybor, Hamburger Mary’s, Cristino’s Coal Oven Pizza, Absolut Vodka, Metro Wellness and Community Centers, CitySide, Bradley’s, Lance Becatti, T-Mobile, Tribeca Color Salon, and many MANY more.
