Businesses gear up for St. Pete Pride parade and festivities

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — St. Pete Pride will draw thousands of people to the region for the parade and other festivities, and people will flock to local bars, restaurants, and other businesses all weekend long.

“Rain or not, I feel like it’s going to be a heck of a crowd,” said Kae Desvilles, the Marketing Manager for The Birchwood and Teak Properties.

The Birchwood Inn, Birch and Vine, and Birchwood Canopy in St. Pete will be steps away from the action.

WATCH: Businesses gear up for St. Pete Pride parade and festivities

“In year’s past, both the rooftops have been to full capacity,” Desvilles said.

“We have people coming in and out, getting drinks, food, and things of that nature. People enjoying the parade, walking, and coming back for drinks. Our restaurant inside at the hotel bar will be full, packed to the brim with people having drinks and just taking some time out from the sun and to come inside for the AC and then popping back out to the parade to get all the action going on.”

Diaz Farrell, who works at Thirsty First in St. Pete, said, “We’re really excited to host everyone who’s willing to come our way. This is a fairly new spot. We did just open our doors about three to four weeks ago.”

Just down the road, staff at Thirsty First expect to be busy but are prepped and ready for the crowd.

“I expect to see every single one of these chairs filled at one point or another,” Farrell said.

St. Pete Police’s top priority is making sure everyone can celebrate Pride feeling safe.

Chief Anthony Holloway said they’re teaming up with state and federal partners to stay alert and ready for any potential threats. The chief said you’ll see a strong police presence at the parade, and this year, they’re adding a new layer of safety: drones.

Holloway said the drones will help them monitor from above and respond quickly if needed.