Pride Takes Over Twin Cities

MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) -- Pride festivities are in full swing in the Twin Cities this weekend.

Loring Park is the hub of it all. The Pride Festival has over 400 exhibitor booths and 40 food vendors. There are also four stages with free music and other entertainment.

For some, checking out the festival is a family affair.

"We are definitely here celebrating and affirming our daughter, and letting her know and anybody else that we are really proud of her and you know we love her and definitely we just want to be with her," Efren Maldonado said.

"I am pretty grateful that my parents are accepting and proud of who I am and who I've grown to be," Coralie Maldonado said.

The Twin Cities Pride Festival continues Sunday at Loring Park from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.

Dozens of weight lifters from across the Twin Cities put their muscles to the test at Pull for Pride in Uptown.

The dead lift competition raises money for Avenues for Homeless Youth.  The nonprofit provides housing and support for kids who are homeless.  Participants raised more than $17,000 for Avenues today.

Perhaps the biggest Pride event is the parade Sunday.

Earlier this week, Pride organizers announced there would be a lack of police officer involvement in this year's parade.

In years past, police led the parade with squad cars, lights and sirens. But Pride organizers said they wanted to be sensitive to the community's reaction to the verdict in the Jeromino Yanez trial.

Yanez was acquitted last week in the shooting death of Philando Castile. But, after meeting with Minneapolis Police Chief Janee Harteau organizers apologized Friday and invited officers to again be a part of the parade.

The Pride Parade will start at Third Street and Hennepin then move south on Hennepin. It starts at 11 a.m. Nearly 150 floats will take part.