LGBTQ Arts Festival Underway In Sarasota

SARASOTA, FL — The Fabulous Arts Foundation’s 12th annual Pride | Be Fabulous Arts & Music Fest, formerly known as the Harvey Milk Festival, is underway in Sarasota.

The LGBTQ+ arts festival kicked off Thursday evening in the Rosemary District with its “Just Say Gay” art exhibition, a response to Florida’s so-called “Don’t Say Gay” bill, which was signed into law in March and limits how gender and sexual orientation are discussed in the classroom.

Even if you missed that event, there are still two nights left to celebrate LGBTQ Pride and the arts.

Friday evening’s event celebrates queer dancers at The Players Studio, 1400 Blvd. of the Arts, #200, from 7 to 9 p.m.

“We are transformative through movement and cascading through our memories are moments of dance. Be it your first spin or feeling so passionate about sound it just takes over your body. These artists will remind you why we feel this way through movement. Come celebrate these queer artists as they share their works with us,” the foundation wrote on its website.

Saturday, from 2:30 to 11 p.m., the organization is hosting its Music & Arts Festival in the Rosemary District along Central Avenue and Boulevard of the Arts. General admission tickets are free and a VIP experience is also available for $75. Tickets can be purchased here.

Musical artists performing at this year’s event include Rituals of Mine from Los Angeles, Jax Anderson from Detroit, Superknova from Chicago and Lalo from Los Angeles.

There are several Florida acts taking the stage, as well, including Sarasota’s MeteorEYES and Gracie Cespedes, and Hovercar from St. Petersburg and Tuesday again from Orlando.

Saturday also features the Community Q+ Market with local artisans and nonprofit organizations.