Wilton Manors, Florida (August 23, 2017) – For the 18th consecutive year, the City of Wilton Manors hosted the largest LGBT pride event in the greater Fort Lauderdale area. Almost 34,000 people from more than 21 states and three countries attended the 2017 Stonewall Parade and Festival on Saturday, June 17, 2017. The festival also had an overall economic impact of more than $2 million.
“This is a huge feat in a town of about 12,000 people and little more than 100 employees,” said Mayor Gary Resnick. “We’re proud to host this one-of-a-kind annual parade and festival commemorating one of the most impactful events in LGBT history each year, and we could not pull it off without the assistance of the Wilton Manors Entertainment Group and our wonderful city volunteers.”
According to the Economic Impact evaluation conducted by Fishkind & Associates, total event spending came out to $4.1 million. About 40 percent of attendees stayed overnight nearby, generating more than 8,000 room nights, and almost half of attendees used means of travel besides a car, including walking, ride-sharing services like Uber and Lyft, and bicycles.
“It’s wonderful to have confirmed the tremendous economic impact the Stonewall Parade and Festival has had on our city and greater Fort Lauderdale in general,” said Jeffrey Sterling, executive director of the Wilton Manors Entertainment Group, which organizes the parade and festival with the City of Wilton Manors. “With this information, we hope to keep providing quality entertainment here for years to come.”
The annual Stonewall Parade and Festival, which commemorates the 1969 Stonewall Riots, takes place along Wilton Drive from Five Points/NE 26th Street to NE 20th Street, just north of Fort Lauderdale High School. More than 100 vendors, exhibitors and food trucks participate, and then the much-anticipated Stonewall Parade travels down the north side of Wilton Drive.
The 2018 Stonewall Parade and Street Festival is scheduled to take place Saturday, June 16, 2018.
To connect with the City of Wilton Manors, visit www.wiltonmanors.com.