Weather | Sports | Forums | Comics | Classifieds | Calendar | Movies
SHARON L. BONDThe second gay street festival doubles the support and expects a bigger throng. Straight, celibate, whatever? You're invited, too.
ST. PETERSBURG - Probably the main benefit of the St. Pete Pride celebration for the city is recognition.
Only in its second year, the festival raises awareness of the gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender communities, at the same time recognizing the city as a place where such diversity exists.
If the celebration continues to grow, the festival also could become an economic factor for St. Petersburg.
St. Pete Pride ends its monthlong party this coming weekend with a parade and street festival on Central Avenue. Venues throughout the city have hosted parts of the celebration during June.
The celebration is so new that no multiplier exists to figure its economic impact. But consider these indicators:
The number of corporate sponsors totals 35, including the St. Petersburg Times, about 50 percent more than last year.
About five of the 136 vendors in the festival last year became full-time businesses here or moved to St. Petersburg.
The number of vendors for the street festival Saturday has nearly doubled over last year. Organizers had to ask the city to cordon off a third block for the festival.
More than 10,000 people attended last year's celebration, and more are expected this year.
The Grand Central District, where the street festival takes place, is a reviving marketplace, and the celebration brings in a chunk of shoppers who may have been unaware of what the district has to offer.
A few businesses planning to open in the area of the festival accelerated plans in an effort to catch the crowds.
"It definitely has a financial impact," said Brian Longstreth, co-chairman of the event. "It has a definite impact on the Grand Central District."
St. Petersburg City Council member Richard Kriseman sees the celebration as a boon to Grand Central and other parts of the city.
"That is a significant number of people who may not have been in the area before," said Kriseman, who sponsored the city's proclamation making June gay pride month. "They probably headed downtown to eat or shop. They might not have otherwise been to the area."
A direct impact to the city is the handful of businesses that evolved from last year's vendors, Kriseman said.
He took the lead on the proclamation, even though the area is not his district, because he has done a lot of business as a lawyer with the gay community in the past 11 years. The city will benefit if the festival raises awareness that it is a diverse place, he said.
Both he and Longstreth mentioned the diversity of the vendors.
A number of religious groups plan to be vendors, along with community service organizations, artists and gallery types, and food and drink sellers. Last year, festivalgoers included many families with children, Longstreth said.
"We have a very diverse crowd that attends," he said. "There are a lot of people who are not gay, lesbian, bisexual or transgender. It shows we are real people like everybody else."
Metropolitan Decor, at 2456 Central Ave., is one of those new businesses trying to get its doors open before the week's end to take advantage of the festival traffic.
"That's what is so wonderful about the festival. It brings all the people into the area," said Renee Calandro. She and Catherine Catanese own Metropolitan Decor, which will sell home decorations, accessories and art, and offer design services.
If they don't open the shop in time for the festival, Calandro and Catanese had a brochure printed that they will hand out. They think a lot of people don't know about Grand Central, their new home.
"I think this area tends to be neglected," Calandro said. "We were really, really bummed out when we didn't get our occupational (license) the first of June. We heard the festival has grown so much since last year."
Longstreth said he is hearing that this street festival is becoming one of the largest in Florida.
He said the celebration cleared about $12,000 after expenses last year. About $7,500 went to 13 groups in the area; the rest was kept for this year's festival. He also noted the increase in corporate sponsors this year.