Hillcrest restaurants and bars are gearing up for throngs of local and out-of-town patrons.
That’s an exponential increase over last year’s four or five Pride-related unions.Īs organizers on Friday launch San Diego Pride’s observance of its 40th anniversary, expectations are high that attendance could match, if not eclipse, last year’s record turnout, fueled by last June’s historic Supreme Court ruling on same-sex marriage.Īrea hotels are nearly full. Hillcrest restaurant owner Chris Shaw measures San Diego Pride success in plastic pink flamingos, as in the 15,000 of them he plans to give away this week to thousands of revelers in town for the gay community’s annual three-day celebration.Įvent planner Johnique Woods’ barometer of success are the nearly 50 same-sex marriage ceremonies planned this weekend at Balboa Park as part of Pride’s first gay wedding expo.
