SEATTLE - For a while, it seemed as if there might not be a gay Pride festival, or possibly even parade in downtown Seattle this year.

In the months following last year's events at Seattle Center - a major venue - organizers announced they were bankrupt. They were roughly $100,000 in the hole.

But last-minute preparations ensured the event took place, and Seattle's gay community concluded a successful Pride celebration over the weekend.

Sunday's events included a large parade through downtown Seattle and a big after-party of sorts at the Seattle Center.

Volunteers carrying everything from fishing nets to laundry baskets solicited donations along the parade route.

Egan Orion organized the last-minute celebration, saying he was confident Seattle could support gay pride events both on Capitol Hill and in the downtown core.

"There's a lot of opinions out there and I think there's a lot of people who thought this couldn't be pulled off in six and a half weeks. And we pulled this off," said Orion, festival director.

Seattle Out and Proud and the city attorney's office are working out a payment plan to pay back the debt from last year's event.

Today's parade carried revelers down Fourth Avenue in Seattle.

With throngs of cheering spectators lining the downtown street, bands, dancers, motorcycles and of course, drag queens celebrated every step of the roughly one-mile parade route - high heels and all.

Most spectators seemed to enjoy the effort that went into this year's festival.

"This is great that we're downtown," said Jeri Hudson. "It lets people know that we're all here, we're in your neighborhood, we're in your family, and we're everywhere."

Saturday's gay Pride events were centered on Capitol Hill, but today's parade ended at the Seattle Center.

"It turned out very well," said Kurt White. "We were worried for a little while that it wasn't going to be here, when we heard about everything being bankrupted and all, but they've done a very nice job of recovering. I'm very impressed."