St. Pete Pride doesn’t kick off until next month, but Tampa Pride is back and in position to be the country’s first Pride parade of 2021. You probably won’t be able to miss it if you’re in Ybor City this Saturday, but do know that the parade route starts at the corner of Nuccio Parkway and heads down E 7th Avenue all the way to N 20th Street before hanging a left and dispersing. The bulk of the crowd will be at Centro Ybor at 4 p.m. for the parade kickoff.
After the Saturday daytime festival and parade, The Weather Girls’ Martha Wash headlines a “Pride at Night” concert at Ybor City’s Cuban Club. Wash is famous for singing the soaking-wet disco hit “It’s Raining Men” (co-written by Paul Shaffer and the late Paul Jabara, but all you trivia buffs know that). Wash’s powerhouse vocals also backed the gay icon Sylvester on “You Make Me Feel (Mighty Real)” and C+C Music Factory’s “Gonna Make You Sweat (Everybody Dance Now)”, though her voice was lip-synced to in the video.
Creative Loafing Tampa Bay reached out to organizers of the event to confirm mask requirements but have yet to hear back. According to tampapride.org there are masks available at the Tampa Pride Information Center, but a requirement is not stated. The organizers do request that attendees keep it hygienic stating, “Carry tissues with you. Cover your coughs and sneezes with a tissue, then throw the tissue in the trash. Wash your hands often with soap and water for at least 20 seconds, especially after going to the bathroom, before eating, and after blowing your nose, coughing, or sneezing.” Wash your damn hands, people.
If you’re really feeling it (or feeling like sweating out that hangover), Sparkman Wharf is hosting live music and Pride Ride spin classes on Sunday, March 23 in downtown Tampa.
Pride Parade: Saturday, March 22, 4 p.m. Free to attend. Historic Ybor City.
Pride at Night: Martha Wash/DJs Greg Anderson and Power Infiniti. Saturday, May 21, 6 p.m. $5 18-20/21 and up, Free. VIP $75. Cuban Club, Ybor City.
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This article appears in May 20-26, 2021.