AUSTIN, Texas — Thousands of people united to celebrate Pride in Austin on Saturday.
The city's annual celebration was split into two parts, with a festival and a parade. This year's theme was “Queer Cabaret: Unleashed Glamour + Glitz!"
"We wanted to do something that was lively and fun and support our local theater," Austin Pride board member Claudia Sanchez said.
The festival started at 11 a.m. at Fiesta Gardens. The event was filled with vendors, signs of unity and tons of bedazzled outfit choices, which organizers encouraged.
A main stage was also created for live music and drag performances.
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Terrance Raiford, with the AIDS Healthcare Foundation, said the Pride festival is an opportunity to bring a community together.
"Being a Black gay male, I celebrate Pride because this is just who I am and I just love my community," Raiford said.
Once the festival ended a little after 6 p.m., thousands of people migrated to the Texas State Capitol to fill the streets of downtown and march down Congress Avenue.
The KVUE team was part of the celebration and joined countless of organizations and companies. The Austin Police Department, Austin Fire and Austin ISD were among those also spotted among the crowd that took part in the parade.
While many Pride events are celebrated in June during Pride Month, Austin chooses to hold its celebration in August due to a number of factors, including weather, cost, college student availability and competition.
Regardless of the timing, Sanchez said the message remains the same: To bring as many together as one.
"It's a delicate subject, right? Because no matter what side you're on, or even if you try to stay neutral, there's always a controversy of some sort," Sanchez said.