TAMPA, Fla. — Thousands of people are expected to flock to Ybor City for the Tampa Pride Diversity Parade.
This year will mark a decade of the parade in town, which will take place at 4 p.m. It will start near the corner of Nuccio Parkway and East 7th Avenue and continue east down 7th Avenue to North 20th Street.
Law enforcement is slated to beef up patrols during the celebration.
Memories of the past surround Carrie West's home, but the pictures can't capture his heart for Tampa.
"My heart is jumping now," West, president of Tampa Pride, said when asked how he feels being so close to hosting another pride parade. "It will be filled on both sides of the street with love and joy."
West said he moved to Tampa in 1980. The first annual pride parade wouldn't be held until years later. West said he worked to make Ybor City, which is also known to the LGBTQ+ community as the GaYBOR District Coalition, an inclusive environment for all.
"This will be a place where you can hold hands legally, shamelessly, and be in love with who you want to be in love with," West said of the work to help transform the area into an LGBTQ+ friendly neighborhood.
Safety remains top of mind for residents and workers in Ybor City. They found it was Ybor's greatest drawback, according to the 2023 "Biennial Ybor City Worker and Resident Study."
Ybor's image was in limbo after a shooting on the weekend before Halloween. Two people were killed and sixteen others were hurt.
The tragedy slowed down business at one point in the area. Workers said events like Tampa Pride and most recently, the Sant' Yago Knight Parade, which was held successfully, only help local businesses.
"We're actually very excited. It's like one of our favorite days of the year," Alicia Duffy, the New York New York Pizza general manager, said. "Everybody is so welcoming and so happy."
West said planning for Pride is a year-round job but he hopes the community can benefit from the celebrations.
"Just be who you are and that's what we promote," West said.
Previous parades have brought more than 100,000 people in years past.
For a guide on all things Tampa Pride, visit this link.
