COLUMBUS – The 37th Columbus Stonewall Pride Festival and Parade will bring approximately 500,000 people to the city, making the event the third-largest in the United States.
37th Columbus Stonewall Pride Festival and Parade
Festival Location:
Bicentennial and Genoa Park, 233 Civic Center Drive
Friday 4–11p.m.
Saturday 11 a.m.–8 p.m.
Sunday: Pride Brunch 11 a.m.–1 p.m.
Parade – Saturday (Step-off at 10:30 a.m.)
The Columbus Division of Police has introduced a new text-messaging system for emergency safety alerts. Anyone interested in receiving the alerts should text PRIDE2018 to 888-777, Chief Kim Jacobs said.
“What we [police] think of as a success for this particular weekend is that everybody has fun and is safe,” she said.
Vice President Mike Pence, who LGBTQ advocates say has championed anti-LGBTQ legislation in Congress, will be address an America First Policies meeting at the Renaissance Columbus Downtown Hotel on Friday so activists and performers are planning a “Big LGBTQ Dance Party” outside the hotel.
“We want to counter that anti-LGBT attitude that they have with a big, positive, loving dance party,” Jay Smith, a volunteer organizer told WCMH-TV. ProgressOhio is also co-sponsoring the event.
Street closings begin Friday in the area around Genoa and Bicentennial parks, including Washington Boulevard, Rich Street, Civic Center Drive, and Main Street.
The parade (see map) will form at Goodale Park at 8:00 a.m. Saturday morning and officially step off at 10:30 a.m. and will proceed from Goodale Park, south on High Street and west on Broad Street, ending at Washington Boulevard/Genoa Park.
COTA is offering options to accommodate the expected crowds downtown.