Many who came to the Tallahassee Pride in the Park event on Saturday agree

that the city is become more accepting of the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender community.

      “Tallahassee is ready for us to be ourselves,” said Patrick Patterson, one of the event’s organizers. “We just want to be accepted like everyone else. It’s about acceptance, nothing else. We’re not trying to push an agenda.”

      This was the first year the event was held downtown. Rainbow flags marked the entrance to the event on Park Avenue. In past years, the event was held at Tom Brown Park. It’s also the first year PrideFest, which is sponsored by the LGBT community center The Family Tree, has been filled with events all week long.

      Comedian Jade Esteban Estrada, the emcee of the event, has performed at nearly 200 PrideFests all around the world.

      He talked about his experience with the Tallahassee crowd while doing his comedic routine this year and in 2005: “I felt a hunger. People were ready to start talking about these things, to start laughing about these things, to start being vocal.”

      Patterson said he expected more than 1,000 people to stop by Saturday’s event. Last year, about 700 people came. Participants got their faces painted, visited vendors’ booths, registered to vote and watched a Tina Turner impersonator perform.