“It was so much fun because it was so different,” said Monica Tejeda, a UCF student who walked in the parade. Carlos Guillermo Smith (D-Orlando), Orange County Property Appraiser Rick Singh and Orange County Tax Collector Scott Randolph. Notable parade marchers included Florida Rep. The parade started at 4 p.m., and lasted for two hours as organizations and businesses marched around Lake Eola and through the downtown Orlando. People wore their “Orlando United” shirts, waved rainbow flags and carried free hugs signs. The atmosphere of the event was overwhelmingly lively and embracing to anyone present. “I was expecting energy, but this was way more than I expected.”Īttendees enjoyed themselves by visiting the tents of businesses and organizations, getting their faces painted or listening to the Orlando Gay Chorus at the rainbow-colored amphitheater. “The energy was coming from all around, literally 360 there was just so much hype,” Xavier Quiñones a UCF student who danced in the parade with the Red Bull float, said.
