ORLANDO, Fla. — One of Orlando’s biggest events of the year will take place downtown Saturday: The annual Come Out with Pride Festival and parade.

Crews have been unloading and setting up for the past 24 hours preparing for thousands to descend on the area.

Security is expected to be visible with a strong street presence, according to Tatiana Quiroga, the executive director of the pride parade.

“Security has always been top of mind for the board of directors and myself," she said. "Making sure that everyone that participates in pride feels secure, feels safe and feels taken care of."

Lisa Sheldon and Linda Simonsen say they drove from Titusville to attend this year’s parade and events.

The couple got married in 2015 and have attend the festival for the past three years.

As a gay couple they say they are not worried about security, but they do pay extra attention when they are at large gatherings like the one expected on Saturday.

“It’s a heighten sense of awareness is what I really think of what it is," Sheldon said. "Because of the political climate the way it is, you just don’t know."

The couple believes Orlando has grown into a very accepting community and should be proud.

The event has been running for years and began in Orlando in 1991. Organizers say the crowds were small and so were the number of participants back then.

For years, different groups coordinated the event, but that changed in 2005 when Come Out with Pride formed and combined the parade with a festival. 

The festival grounds open at Lake Eola at noon on Saturday with a parade scheduled for 4 p.m.

The event will close with a fireworks show at 9:30 p.m.