This years Come Out With Pride Orlando 2017 was again a record breaker. An estimated 150,000 attended the festival and congrgated around Lake Eola Park in downtown Orlando for another great LGBT Pride gathering. This year the weather was on Orlando’s side when a Hurricane Matthew disrupted last years Pride and was rescheduled to November. Big corporate names were involved. NASA, Disney, Delta Airlines, Macy’s, Orange County, Wells Fargo, City of Orlando, Sprint, Marriott and so many more. TAMPA PRIDE is a proud partner with our sister city, Orlando!
As a great bystander and TP vendor, I noticed colorful metallic streamers being shot out of a dozen rocket canisters along the parade route in the Macy’s group. I recalled the shooting metallic streamers in Tampa Pride Diversity Parade 2015 in Ybor City that shut down transformers and electricity along the parade route. It was a colorful & beautiful non the less.
Bands, dignitaries, Rainbow Flags, national & local organizations, half naked people, and major corporations had Orlando on their sleeve one year after the Pulse Night Club massacre. It was very visible and still on everybodies mind.
Simple Fun and Colorful Excitement was in the air. Pics tell a story of the great economic successful welcoming weekend with over an estimated $55 million in Orlando area economic boost.
