Downtown Wilmington gears up for annual Port City Pride block party

WILMINGTON, NC (WWAY)– The streets of Wilmington are going to be full of pride this weekend. Tomorrow marks the third annual Port City Pride Block Party.

It’s expected to be a pretty busy weekend downtown. That’s why the Wilmington Police Department will be out and about not only keeping people safe, but trying to get involved at the celebration.

The event runs from noon till 8:30 p.m. Saturday. It features vendors, food trucks and performers.

Store owners downtown will also be open for business. The block party is part of a weekend-long event that includes concerts and a dance party.

Karyn Oetting says she and other local business owners have spent a lot of time getting ready.

“We’ve been trying to clean up the street from weeding to straightening the streets,” Oetting said. “The businesses have been freshening up their windows, getting their pride flags out or buying new ones.”

A spokeswoman for the Wilmington Police Department told us the department is also currently hiring for multiple officer positions and will be out tomorrow to walk people through the recruitment process.