A rainbow flag decorates the entrance of Gossip Grill in Hillcrest.
It bares the names of the victims killed in a gay Orlando nightclub, a sad reminder for manager Darcy Carson.
“Kind of the sad reality of what was going on in our community,” Carson said. “Those kinds of things we have to think about now.”
Carson has beefed up security ever since and in anticipation of huge crowds during CityFest.
As Hillcrest prepares for an estimated 125,000 people for Sunday’s CityFest, security will be tight this year.
Organizers say they are hoping for the best but preparing for the worst, and they're doing everything they can to make sure everyone is safe.
“Everything is a little more visible, a little more presence,” Carson said. “We do large bag checks now, but overall Hillcrest has stood for claiming that this is a safe place to come."
Local
CityFest organizer Benjamin Nicholls wants to keep it that way.
“The police are bringing a few extra resources with their RV command station, but we're also staffing up with security mainly at the perimeter of the event so we can stop people from coming into the event who might do harm,” Nicholls said.
Hillcrest businesses even said they’ve attended active shooter safety trainings with the San Diego Police Department after the attacks.
Carson said she’s learned about “escape plans, getting people out [and] which direction you want to send people,” something she now knows since the Orlando tragedy, but hopes to never have to use.
The Hillcrest Business Association said it has also hired 50 extra security guards who will patrol in and around the festival tomorrow.
