The Rochester Pride Parade expands and welcomes approximately 20,000 people in Highland Park

Rochester, New York – Over 20,000 people are thought to have attended the Rochester Pride Parade and Festival on Saturday at Highland Park.

Lorraine Warner thought back on her encounters.

“It took me a long time to come out — and now that I’m out, I’m not going back,” said Warner. “It’s a beautiful day for Pride. We all have the right to be proud of who we are and so we’re here to march.”

Chili’s Emily Curtis referred to the gathering as “essential.”

“They let people know this is a safe place to live and express yourself and you’ll always be safe in Rochester,” said Curtis.

A new location contributed to the parade’s increased size compared to the previous year. To accommodate more attendees, the event was moved from Cobbs Hill to Highland Park by the organizers.

“We just couldn’t handle the volume, so we’ve increased the number of participants in the parade from 185 to 240 organizations,” said Trillium Health President & CEO Jason Barnecut-Kearns.

Between 20,000 and 25,000 individuals, according to Trillium Health, attended the festivities on Saturday.

The procession carried participants directly into the festival grounds for seven hours of music, food, and around 180 vendors. It spanned one mile on South Avenue and headed toward Highland Park.

Numerous attendees expressed gratitude for the supportive community.

“Whenever I can express who I am and who I feel like, it means a lot to me and I know I can feel safe here,” said Jay Coy of Buffalo. “No matter who I am, no matter what I am.”

“It makes me feel so privileged to be able to be myself and know that I’m safe in doing so and I just wish that for everyone else,” said Matt Sodero of Henrietta.