SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (KELO) – Terrace Park is empty now, but more than 10,000 people are expected to show up Saturday for Sioux Falls Pride. The annual LGBTQ festival follows the first ever pride parade in downtown.

With so much ground to cover, it may look like Sioux Falls Pride members are just spinning their wheels. That’s actually what they were doing Friday morning. Board members were using a wheel measuring tool to plot out spaces for tents and vendors.

“At the moment, with nothing out, it gives me a little bit of anxiety,” Todd Kruse, Sioux Falls Pride vice president, said. 

Organizers have been busy putting together the finishing touches. 

“We have all the entertainment obviously will be down at the band shell,” Kruse said. 

Kruse says at least 85 business vendors will set up and there’s a long list of entertainment throughout the day at Terrace park. 

“To have the chance to come together and to be part of bringing everyone together and give them one day a week out of the year to celebrate and just be comfortable with who they are and be welcomed and visible that motivates me,” Kruse said. 

“I think we’re really going to see that support tomorrow, both at the parade and at the festival,” Cody Ingle, Pride board member, said. 

Ingle says the first-ever parade has a good buzz around it, and there are 36 floats signed up to move through Phillips Avenue in Downtown Sioux Falls. 

“Yes, pride is a celebration of the LGBTQ+ community, but pride is a celebration of everybody,” Ingle said. 

LGBTQ people still face a lot of discrimination. Sioux Falls Pride members say there’s still a lot of ground to cover in the fight for equality, but they hope the pride events help move things forward. 

“Being able to create a space where people can come and feel supported is something I really missed out on and I really enjoy giving people the opportunity to have that,” Ingle said. 

“We don’t want special rights. We want the same rights as everyone else and that’s really what this festival is all about,” Kruse said. 

FESTIVAL SCHEDULE

Noon – 4 p.m.
Where: Terrace Park
All Ages 

Pride in the Park Festival at Terrace Park features vendors, drag performances, bingo and more.  There will be inflatables, duck pond and kids games. An all ages Drag Queen and King story time will also be featured between Drag Bingo.

Main Stage:
Opening Remarks: 12:00 p.m. – 12:30 p.m. 
Entertainment Schedule: 12:30 p.m. – 4:00 p.m. 

Activities:
Vendor Booths, Food Trucks, Kids Zone, Beer Tent: 12 p.m. – 4 p.m. 

Drag Bingo and Story Time:
First Bingo Set: 1:00 p.m.- 2:00 p.m.
Drag Story Time: 2:00 p.m. – 2:30 p.m.
Second Bingo Set: 2:30 p.m. – 3:30 p.m. 

Drag Story Time (Bingo Tent):
Story Begins: 2:00 p.m. – 2:30 p.m.