Prepare for Pride Parade

After being postponed last year due to the pandemic, the Austin Pride Parade is roaring back on Saturday, Aug. 14, promising to be even bigger than 2019’s event, which organizers say drew 400,000 revelers to the streets. Notwithstanding the current dramatic spike in Covid cases, thousands of people are expected to participate in the vibrant spectacle, which kicks off at 8 p.m. at the Texas Capitol, streams down Congress Avenue and concludes around Fourth Street/Bettie Naylor Street. (See a map of the parade route.) It goes without saying that traffic will be hellish and multiple streets will be closed, so organizers suggest leaving the car at home and taking public transportation or a bicycle. Austin Public Health strongly recommends that only vaccinated people attend the event and urges everyone, participants and spectators alike, to wear face masks to protect themselves and others.