PORTLAND, Maine _ The annual Pride Festival in Maine's largest city is coming to its climax with a noontime parade from Monument Square to Deering Oaks Park, and a final weekend of festivities.
This year, Pride festivals around the nation are likely to be bittersweet, after 49 people were fatally gunned down at a gay nightclub in Orlando, FL, with dozens more injured.
Another attack was foiled at Pride festivities in Los Angeles.
This year, in excess of 7000 people are expected to congregate in Portland for the parade and the festival to follow. The Portland Police Department plans to heavily staff the event.
One of the parade marshals is lawyer Mary Bonauto, who successfully argued in favor of same-sex marriage before the U.S. Supreme Court.
The 10 day festival wraps up Sunday with an afternoon Tea Dance at the Inn on Peaks Island.
