Music and dancing filled up a small section of Hartford on Friday night for Pratt Street Patio. On Saturday it's expected to be even busier for the fifth annual PrideFest.
"It's great for the community. Hartford's a very diverse place," said Stephen Richmond, owner of Painting with a Twist, a business on Pratt Street.
Richmond says it's a fun day that has the added bonus for businesses with a Pratt Street address.
"A lot of people don't know we exist. A lot of people don't know Pratt Street exists. So to get a bunch of people down here having a great time is always great for business," said Richmond.
Vaughan's Public House is also getting ready for Saturday. They expect the area to be packed.
"We shut down the whole street. Everybody puts their carts outside. Everybody has a good time. Everybody enjoys it," said Jeffrey Prior, a bartender at Vaughan's Public House.
Volunteers of the event say every year it seems to get bigger and better.
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"This is a very important event for Hartford and the LGBT community. It brings that community together and its allies in a celebration of pride, but it's also a fun, entertaining day full of different activities and shows and events," said former Hartford Mayor Pedro Segarra, the city's first openly gay mayor. He is a volunteer at the event.
One of the big attractions for Saturday's PrideFest is recording artist Robin S. One of her best known hits from the 90s is "Show me Love." She says it's humbling to be a part of the event.
"The LGBT community was the first community to embrace my song and to embrace me as a sisterhood, and so I will feel indebted and always feel compelled to be a part of what they're doing," said Robin S.
The event takes place from noon to six and there's an after party at City Hall.
