Thousands descend on Dolores Park for San Francisco's annual Dyke March

SAN FRANCISCO (KGO) -- Dolores Park was more colorful than ever as San Francisco's annual Dyke March revved up and took off Saturday night.

Thousands of people participated in the Pride march and rally, which kicked off with a group of women from the Dykes on Bikes Women's Motorcycle Contingent.

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"We ride our bikes, make a lot of noise, make people excited and have a lot of fun," Kary McElroy, the march's road captain, said as she prepared to lead the march -- which she has attended for the past 23 years.

"We have to be out here and we have to able to show people that we have a voice and that we can show our pride and be part of the community," she added. It's a message that resonates, especially for Fiona Raab and Talia Vail -- two recent high school graduates celebrating Pride in San Francisco for the first time.

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"We're from a very isolated town and it kind of feels you're in the middle of nowhere, you don't see any of these people, and it feels like you're alone," Raab, 18, said. "It's like, sure you can see people on the Internet living their lives, but it's not the same like being surrounded. It's not the same as seeing people saying, 'We're here. We're queer. We're proud of it.'"

The Dykes on Bikes march is held every year on the eve of the official San Francisco Pride Parade and rally in Civic Center Plaza.