Celebrate 'Glitter & Gratitude’ on Fort Lauderdale Beach with Pride Parade Grand Marshals including Visit Lauderdale’s Richard Gray, Tiffany Arieagus, Lorenzo Robertson, County Commissioner Dr. Barbara Sharief and Major Bill Schultz along historic GAY1A
GREATER FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. (Nov. 16, 2021) – Pride Fort Lauderdale, the oldest Pride celebration in Florida, will take place Nov. 20-21, 2021, as a two-day ‘Glitter & Gratitude’ festival on Fort Lauderdale beach.Nearly 100,000 people are expected to attend the parade on Nov. 20 from 11am-1pm along scenic GAY1A (State Route A1A). Visit Lauderdale’s Richard Gray, Tiffany Arieagus, Lorenzo Robertson, County Commissioner Dr. Barbara Sharief and Major Bill Schultz will lead the parade to the Pride festival, featuring three stages of entertainment and concerts, including from renowned drag performer Lady Bunny and Grammy Award winner Jennifer Holliday. A Trans flag will lead the parade as Nov. 20 marks the annual Trans Day of Remembrance.
“This is a very special weekend for Greater Fort Lauderdale,” said Stacy Ritter, President and CEO of Visit Lauderdale. “Pride Fort Lauderdale has been a fixture in the community since 1977, making it the oldest Pride celebration in all of Florida. While there are many Pride events that take place all over the world, Pride Fort Lauderdale is one of the most popular in the country as the event takes place in one of the most inclusive places – Fort Lauderdale beach.”
Earlier this week, Pride Week kicked off with the inauguration of the rainbow crosswalk in Greater Fort Lauderdale. The rainbow crosswalk incorporates the Progress Pride Flag and is located on the triangle between A1A and Sebastian Street – transforming A1A to “GAY 1A” for the week of Pride. The Progress Pride Flag, represents trans individuals, marginalized people of color and those living with and lost to HIV/AIDS.
“We’re looking forward to bringing everyone together under the sun,” says Richard Gray, Senior Vice President of Diversity, Equity & Inclusion of Visit Lauderdale. “Each year, I look forward to saying ‘Happy Pride’ to my brothers and sisters in this safe and accepting space, where we all have a wonderful time celebrating on Fort Lauderdale beach.”
Greater Fort Lauderdale is the LGBT+ capital of Florida and is home to a thriving LGBT+ community. “Greater Fort Lauderdale is a community that celebrates diversity and inclusion in every way, each and every day, where Pride is our daily way of life,” said Miik Martorell, president of Pride Fort Lauderdale. “We are thrilled to bring our annual event back and bigger than ever and to seeing the smiles on everyone’s faces.”
For more information about Pride Fort Lauderdale, VIP tickets and more, visit www.pridefortlauderdale.org.
About Pride Fort Lauderdale
Pride Fort Lauderdale is the oldest Pride celebration in the state of Florida, born in 1977 from protests following a successful public referendum to overturn a landmark Miami-Dade County gay rights ordinance. Over the years, Pride South Florida, now known as Pride Fort Lauderdale, has taken many different forms from protests and parades to celebrations and beach festivals. In 2017, Pride Fort Lauderdale moved to Fort Lauderdale Beach for its 40th anniversary, attracting 40,000 people. This year, Pride Fort Lauderdale presented the first parade in city history on scenic State Road A1A along the beach, which nearly 100,000 spectators. Greater Fort Lauderdale Pride, Inc. is a 501(c)3 nonprofit, charitable organization as defined by the Internal Revenue Service. The organization is governed by a volunteer board of directors that represent the diverse LGBT+ community of South Florida.
About Greater Fort Lauderdale
Greater Fort Lauderdale boasts an average year-round temperature of 77˚F and has 3,000+ hours of annual sunshine and is known as the Venice of American and Yachting Capital of the World. Explore 4,000+ eateries, 300+ miles of navigable waterways, eight distinct beaches, a thriving arts and culture scene, craft breweries, rooftop bars, diving, fishing and other outdoor adventures, world class shopping and boats, yachts and superyachts moored at the area’s many marinas – all conveniently located in the center of South Florida. Made up of 31 municipalities, the destination boasts more than 37,000 lodging accommodations at a variety of hotels, luxury spa resorts and boutique properties, reflecting a cosmopolitan vibe. Upon arrival at FLL Airport (Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport), it is just five minutes to the beach, Port Everglades, the Greater Fort Lauderdale/Broward County Convention Center and downtown. Find trip planning inspiration at visitlauderdale.com and follow @VisitLauderdale on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and YouTube.
About Visit Lauderdale
Visit Lauderdale is the official destination marketing organization for Greater Fort Lauderdale and serves as the tourism department for Broward County, Florida. Visit Lauderdale promotes the area’s 31 municipalities to a global audience of leisure and business travelers as the ideal place for Everyone Under the Sun in recognition of the area’s diverse and welcoming vibe, and books conventions into the Greater Fort Lauderdale/Broward County Convention Center and Area hotels and resorts. Find more information at visitlauderdale.com and follow @VisitLauderdale on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and YouTube.
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Media Contact:
Ivonne MacMillan
Visit Lauderdale
Tel: 954-767-2408
Email: imacmillan@broward.org