Rainbow flags will add color to Saturday’s Three Rivers Arts Festival and Bucs game scenes when local gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgendered Pittsburghers celebrate PrideFest 2004.

PrideFest 2004 is set for noon to 6 p.m. on the North Shore. The event is expected to draw as many as 2,000 revelers to the scheduled parade, festival and Pirates baseball game.

The Gay and Lesbian Community Center of Pittsburgh, based in Squirrel Hill, is sponsoring the activities.

This year’s location gives the event more visibility than it has enjoyed in past years in other city neighborhoods, event co-chairman Rob Sette said.

Thirty units are expected to form the parade that will wind through Downtown, past Gateway Center and the arts festival in Point State Park.

From the Downtown endpoint, marchers will walk to the PrideFest 2004 festival on the North Shore Great Lawn between the Fort Duquesne Bridge and Heinz Field.

The day will be capped off by Pride Day at PNC Park where representatives from the gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgendered community will hurl the ceremonial first pitch, kicking off play between the Pirates and the Seattle Mariners, Sette said.

This year’s PrideFest marks the 31st year for the event.

Gwen Arbuckle can be reached at [email protected] or (412) 320-7844.