AUGUSTA, Ga () – Huge crowds downtown Saturday morning for what has become one of the most highly anticipated events downtown: the annual PRIDE parade.

This was the 15th year of the festival. Marc Trimm, Pastor of Metropolitan Community Church of Our Redeemer, has been coming to the parade for the last 12 years.

“The enthusiasm is always present and to me it’s intensified over the last few years of people being excited about being authentic and themselves and celebrating life, that’s really what we’re here for,” said Trimm.

The parade featured dozens of organizations coming together for the community.

“As I was talking today, I was just looking at each face as I passed, I was thinking that’s a life, that’s a person, they’re giving their energy towards people they don’t know saying ‘we support you, we love you, we have life to live and we have excitement to lend to you’ and that’s what community’s about,” said Trimm.

I spoke with another long time attendee, Tammie Gilds, who says she looks forward to celebrating at the Augusta Common.

She tells me she gets excited seeing who is in the festival every year and would never miss it.

“I have a ball, I come out here to support everybody, lesbian, gays, whatever, I don’t discriminate. I come and have a good time; they treat us very well. We have a good time with the performance; I just love it,” said Gilds.

Officials say they plan on continuing the parade and festival for years to come.