A gay parade is returning to Auckland on February 15 next year - with the assistance of a $100,000 grant from ratepayers.
The parade will be part of a 13-day Auckland Pride Festival, but festival trust chairman Gresham Bradley said there were no plans to recreate the Hero Parade.
The Hero Parade took place in Ponsonby from 1992 to 2001, drawing crowds of about 100,000.
The festival trust requested $339,000 from Auckland Tourism Events and Economic Development - the events arm of Auckland Council - and was granted $100,000 from its major events fund.
Mr Bradley said the funding would make it possible to secure private sponsorship and build a long-term festival that would become part of an inclusive Auckland City.
