One of the largest Pride celebrations in the U.S., it is anticipated that around 300,000 people will gather in Hillcrest for the parade honoring the local LGBTQ+ community on Saturday morning. Following that, the two-day San Diego Pride Festival in Balboa Park will take place.

Whether you plan to attend or simply live in the area, here is everything you need to know to plan for the parade and festival this weekend:

The San Diego Pride Parade will begin at 10 a.m. on Saturday, July 20. In homage to this year’s anniversary, the theme of the event is "Making History Now."

The festival, which requires paid admission, will begin shortly after the parade ends, from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. at Marston Point in Balboa Park. It will resume on Sunday, July 21, from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Tickets can be purchased online starting at $38.

Although no rain is forecast for the weekend, organizers have confirmed that the events will take place rain or shine.

The parade will start at the Hillcrest Pride Flag at University Avenue and Normal Street, then continue west on University Avenue, turn south on 6th Avenue, then left onto Balboa Drive, and end at Quince Drive. The total route is 1.5 miles. Free parking will be available for those who decide to drive to the event at the Old Naval Hospital parking lots, located near the intersection of Park Boulevard and President’s Way.

Shuttles will be available during the following times:

* Saturday, July 20

  * Pride Parade Route – 7 a.m. to 3 p.m.

    * The shuttle will drop parade-goers at Essex and Richmond Street, one block south of University Avenue.

  * Pride Festival Route – 8 a.m. to midnight

    * The shuttle will transport people between the Old Naval Hospital and the Pride Festival at Sixth Avenue and Juniper Street.

  * Festival Express – 12 p.m. to 4 p.m.

    * Catch a ride from the Pride Parade’s starting line to the entrance of the Pride Festival. Pick up the shuttle at Essex and Richmond Street and drop off at Sixth Avenue and Juniper Street.

* Sunday, July 21

  * Shuttles will run continuously from 8 a.m. to 11 p.m. between the Old Naval Hospital and the festival drop-off at Sixth Avenue and Juniper Street.

There will also be several "No Parking Zones" throughout Hillcrest during the parade and festival:

* Hillcrest DMV Parking Lot (3960 Normal St)

* University Ave (5th Ave to Park Blvd)

* Centre St (University Ave to Park Blvd)

* Normal St (University Ave to Washington St)

* Cleveland Ave (Richmond St to Washington St)

* Harvey Milk Way (Cleveland Ave to Centre St)

* Lincoln Ave (Washington St to Park Blvd)

* Polk Ave (Normal St to Park Blvd)

* Herbert St (University Ave to Robinson Ave)

* Essex St (Herbert St to Richmond St)

* Centre St (University Ave for half the block south)

* 6th Ave (University Ave to Upas St)

* Robinson Ave (5th Ave to 6th Ave)

* Evans Place (5th Ave to 6th Ave)

* Pennsylvania Ave (5th Ave to 6th Ave)

* Anderson Place (5th Ave to 6th Ave)

* Ivy Lane (5th Ave to 6th Ave)

* Upas St (5th Ave to 6th Ave)

* Balboa Dr in Balboa Park (6th Ave and Upas St to El Prado)

Using public transit to get to the parade and festival

For those who want to skip traffic and parking altogether, utilizing public transit is an excellent option. Riders can take one of several MTS bus routes to get to the festival.

According to MTS officials, the Rapid 215 bus line is the best way to get to all of the Pride festivities, running every 15 minutes throughout the day from downtown near Santa Fe Depot to the edge of City Heights. The last bus of the day in both directions leaves around midnight.

Route 7 is also another good option to get to the Old Naval Hospital for Pride’s shuttle service, MTS officials say. Route 7 runs from the 11th Avenue & C Street Trolley stop in downtown to the College Area, including a stop at Park Boulevard and Presidents Way.

Besides these options, MTS says those who want to use public transit can also utilize Routes 1, 3, 11, and 120 to get to the parade route, or Routes 3 and 120 to get to the festival.

One important caveat: some of these routes will be detoured or have service delays due to the parade’s road closures in Hillcrest. To see the full list of detoured bus routes, please visit the MTS San Diego Pride Parade & Festival webpage.

The UC San Diego Blue Trolley Line will also be impacted throughout the day, but for planned track maintenance between the 12th & Imperial and E Street stations.

Those using public transit to get to and from the Pride Parade and Festival are encouraged to download the free PRONTO app ahead of time to purchase fares or use the new tap payment system once getting to the station.