MINNEAPOLIS — Sometimes growth can be associated with a sense of pride.
"Bigger and better every year," said Twin Cities Pride Executive Director, Andi Otto.
In the last 50 years Twin Cities Pride, which Otto said started out with 50 people in Loring Park, has grown to more than 400,000 people in attendance, and that was last year alone.
"Now we're looking at about 600,000 people here in the park," said Otto. Pride weekend will also clash with thousands of people in town for the Taylor Swift concert at U.S. Bank Stadium.
Leaders with Twin Cities Pride say the annual event is outgrowing the park.
"This year one of the biggest things is we're expanding across the way to the Sculpture Garden," said Otto.
It's part of an expansion navigating the growing pains that come with success.
"You know, the fees over the past few years have gone up for having a big event in Minneapolis and so we constantly look at those things and determine whether or not we get to stay here or we have to move locations," explained Otto.
The city increased fees for things like short-term food permits for vendors, from $990 in 2019 to $1620 in 2022.
When it comes to keeping hundreds of thousands of people safe?
"Just in safety costs alone, we were looking at about $30,000 and to this day we're looking at about 80," said Otto.
Those figures make the sustainability of the event questionable.
"Financially is it sustainable for us to stay in the location that we're at?" asked Otto.
With the possibility of extending their sense of pride beyond city lines.
"We have contemplated on the state fairgrounds, that's probably the next biggest place for us to have it," said Otto.
Leaders with Twin Cities Pride say a decision to relocate next year's event will be announced in January.
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