Tens of thousands of people are expected to gather in Wilton Manors this weekend for the annual Stonewall Pride Parade and Street Festival, and organizers, businesses and law enforcement say they have spent months preparing to keep attendees safe.
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Along Wilton Drive, businesses are making final preparations for one of the area’s biggest events of the year.
“The bars are set up tomorrow. We’ve got DJs coming tomorrow. We got the parking lot being done,” said Zia, manager of Georgie’s Alibi. “It’s a lot of work. So I am looking forward to seeing the crowd this year.”
At least 50,000 people are expected to attend this year’s event.
The Wilton Manors Police Department says planning for the festival began months ago.
In a video posted on X, Wilton Manors Police Chief Gary Blocker said the department has worked with local, state and federal partners since January to develop a comprehensive operational plan.
“Planning for this event began months ago,” Blocker said. “Since January, our team has worked alongside local, state, and federal partners to develop a comprehensive operational plan that meets national incident management system standards and reflects the unique needs of our community in this signature event.”
According to the chief, there are currently no credible threats associated with the event.
Blocker said the public safety strategy includes highly visible uniformed patrols, explosive detection canine teams, drone operations, rapid response resources, advanced public safety technology, traffic management personnel and coordinated emergency response capabilities.
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Businesses participating in the event are also required to take additional security measures.
“We also had to submit that we have armed security as well,” Zia said. “We have to pay for that as well just for extra security.”
Despite the enhanced precautions, Zia said she feels comfortable attending and working the event.
“I actually do feel safe coming to this event because of the fact that everywhere you see, you’ll see policemen,” she said. “They’re everywhere. They’re here, so you feel safe. I feel safe.”
The Stonewall Pride Street Festival is a ticketed event, and organizers say everyone must have a ticket to enter.
The festival begins Saturday at 3 p.m. A Glow Parade is scheduled for 8 p.m., and the event officially ends at 11 p.m.
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NBC6 and Telemundo 51 are the official media sponsors of the event.