Organisers of Birmingham's Gay and Lesbian Pride Festival 2005 last night said they were expecting this year's event to be the best attended festival ever. The event has grown in popularity in recent years and well over than 100,000 people are expected to have flocked to the Hurst Street area by the end of today for the three-day festival, the largest free gay and lesbian festival in the UK. The event, which began with a colourful parade on Saturday, attracted massive crowds yesterday, particularly around the village green. The green, which is a turfed-over car park on Bromsgrove Street, saw a range of activities, including a chocolate egg and spoon race, a three-legged race, a tug of war, a children's dressing up parade, a dog show and handbag hurling. Crowds were also flocking to the numerous commercial and charity stalls, selling clothes and exhibiting advice and help to people from the gay and lesbian community. The event generates about £10 million for the local economy and attracts people from across the world. Pride co-ordinator Paul Steeples said the organisers had attempted to put more facilities in place for people from the gay and lesbian communities this year. He said: "This year we have put more effort into the community activities, especially on the village green. "We have a schedule of games on the village green which has proved to be very popular. "There is a very good atmosphere around Hurst Street. Everyone is very tolerant and friendly. It has been really enjoyable just walking around, soaking up the fun. I also think we have been helped by some excellent weather." Pride began with the carnival parade, which made its way from Victoria Square through the full length of New Street and then down to the gay village in Hurst Street. The ninth annual festival is organised and funded by the Birmingham Gay Business Partnership. Event organisers believe the night-life on offer this year is the best they have ever arranged, with Boney M, Bananarama and Sybil topping the bill at the Nightingale Club, in Kent Street, and Liberty X at DV8 and Michelle Gayle at Missing. Subway City, in Water Street, is also hosting two all-nighters. The street festival includes a fun fair, fire eaters, jugglers, mini-stage arenas and a dance tent. The council makes a donation of £10,000 to the event and the local venues put up the rest of the cash. | 
