CHARLOTTE — It’s the 25th annual Pride Weekend in the Queen City, and thousands of LGBTQ people and their allies will be in Uptown all weekend long.
This year, all the booths, vendors, and concerts will take place in First Ward Park in anticipation of large crowds.
Channel 9’s Hunter Saenz spoke to organizers as they set up tents and constructed the main stage on Friday.
They say the celebrations and fundamental protests have just gotten so big over the years that they needed more room.
Several streets in Uptown are already closed, not only for the festival, but for the parade on Sunday.
The following streets will be closed starting at 9:30 a.m. Friday until Monday at midnight:
- North Brevard Street from East 9th Street to East 6th Street
- East 8th Street from the Light Rail tracks to North Caldwell Street
East 7th Street from the Light Rail tracks to North Caldwell Street will also be closed starting at 5 a.m. Saturday through Monday at midnight.
Organizers say security will also be tight around the area.
The Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department said it will have dozens of officers out for surveillance and to keep things safe. Their big ask is if you see something, say something.
Charlotte Pride organizers said this year, like many in the past, holds extra weight with recent policies targeting the LGBTQ+ community.
“I think it’s super important for us to be visible and show up,” Meredith Thompson with Charlotte Pride said. “It’s so important for us to show up and be out here and guess what — being joyful."
Festivities have been going on around town all week, but they’ll really gear up in Uptown this weekend.
VIDEO: As LGBTQ+ community celebrates Pride, advocates push against anti-trans policies
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