--LAUREN: ORGANIZERS TELL ME LOUISVILLE IS GOING ABOVE AND BEYOND AND THAT’S MAKING THIS CITY. AND THESE EVENTS POPULAR AMONG THE LQBTQ COMMUNITY. AT FRIDAY NIGHT’S PRIDE PARADE, MORE FLOATS THAN EVER BEFORE, AND MORE PEOPLE. LAST YEAR, KENTUCKIANA’S PRIDE FESTIVAL DREW ABOUT 20,000. THIS WEEKEND’S EVENTS EXPECTED TO DRAW 27,000 >> LOUISVILLE PEOPLE TREAT YOU AWESOME, I WENT TO THE DERBY HERE. IT WAS A GREAT EXPERIENCE. I WANTED TO COME TO PRIDE AND SO FAR, IT’S BEEN WONDERFUL. LAUREN: VISITORS LIKE SHERRY MERRELL MAKING THE TRIP FROM EVANSVILLE, INDIAN AND THAT TRANSLATES INTO A LARGER THAN EVER ECONOMIC IMPACT. ON THE FLAG LINED STREETS OF NULU, ALONG THE PARADE ROUTE, BUSY SHOPS AND RESTAURANTS. GARAGE BAR SAYS THEIR BUSINESS IS UP 30% THIS WEE >> THIS IS GOING TO PAY MY RENT FOR A MONTH HOPEFULLY, FINGERS CROSSED. LAUREN: THE ECONOMIC IMPACT, ACCORDING TO HE LOUISVILLE VISITOR'S CENTER, JUST SHY OF $1 MILLION. >> IT STARTS SMALL AND KEEPS GETTING BIGGER AND BIGGER AND THE MAIN REASON IS BECAUSE LOUISVILLE IS SO WELCOMING. LAUREN: IN FACT, AT FRIDAY’S PARADE, MULTIPLE BUSINESSES WERE MARCHING IN SUPPORT OF THE LQBTQ COMMUNITY, AS WELL AS LMPD A THE MAYOR, WHO EARLIER IN THE WEEK, FLEW THE PRIDE FLAG OVER CITY HALL, AND VISITORS, AND THOSE CALLING LOUISVILLE HOME ARE NOTICING AND SAY THIS PRIDE WEEK, THERE’S A LOT TO BE PROUD