Organizers kicked off San Francisco’s 40th annual gay pride weekend with a celebration Saturday in front of City Hall.

Thousands of people crowded into Civic Center Plaza, where vendors sold barbecue and burritos, and DJs spun tunes on a large stage. Advocates for the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender community shared booths alongside corporate sponsors.

“It’s part political, it’s part a party,” said Darryl Groom, 55, explaining the elements that brought him and his partner, Tobey Tam, 41, to San Francisco from Cape Coral, Fla.

The event continues today with a parade and concerts, including The Backstreet Boys.

San Francisco’s gay pride festivities have come a long way since the first parade in 1970, as has the LGBT movement, organizers and historians say.