CBS 8 is celebrating love out loud as we count down to the San Diego Pride Parade and Festival that starts in less than 48 hours. This year, there are heightened security concerns after a string of drive-by pellet gun shootings in Hillcrest. Crews were setting up for the biggest event in America's Finest City as at least 250,000 people are expected to attend San Diego’s Pride from all over the United States. San Diego Pride, a 501c3 Non-Profit Organization, expects more than 300,000 attendees as the festival has continued to grow every year. However, with 250,000 people together in one spot, coupled with a history of celebrating Pride because the community consistently feels unsafe, security and safety are a top concern. "It's been 50 years since that first march down the street. They went to the city office and asked for a permit. They were told, ‘That's never going to happen in San Diego.' And 50 years later, here we are," Jen LaBarbera, Interim Executive Director of San Diego Pride, smiled proudly and described the first Pride Parade in San Diego. "We know that our community is a targeted community and so we take every precaution, every measure that we can possibly take to ensure our attendees, our staff and our volunteers are as safe as possible," LaBarbera advised. MORE: https://www.cbs8.com/article/news/community/our-community/security-safety-san-diego-pride-events/509-8e7ba427-6b5f-45dc-acd7-b8433012398b