Planting Pride: Love Blooms Here!

Planting Pride: Love Blooms Here!
Saturday, June 14, 2025
5 – 8pm
Location: The West Portico
$10 per person, children 7 and under free

Celebrate LGBTQ+ identity, art, and community in full bloom at our annual Pride Pride Festival, a joyful event with literary voices and hands-on creativity under the summer sky.

What to Expect:
• A vibrant flower bar to make your own flower crown, corsage, or boutonniere
• A typewriter poet crafting custom poems just for you
• Food trucks serving up festive bites
• A powerful book discussion on identity moderated by Councilwoman Marsha Silverman, featuring authors June Gervais (Jobs for Girls with Artistic Flair) and Forsyth Harmon (Justine). Author signings available after the discussion.
• An incredible performance from Jasmine Rice LaBeija, a Juilliard-trained operatic tenor, a proud Korean-American icon, the International Godmother of the Royal House of LaBeija, and 2025 Britains Got Talent semifinalist!

Whether you’re coming for the culture, the community, or the crowns, there’s something for everyone.

Schedule of Events
5pm – Festival opens
Flower Station – Create your own flower crown, corsage, or boutonniere
Typewriter Poet – Enjoy custom poems typed on the spot, made just for you
Food Trucks onsite with a variety of delicious bites and refreshments to purchase

5:30pm – Welcome Remarks
Guest Spotlight: A special message from Owen Gilbo, LGBTQ+ advocate and ADA Coordinator for NYS Parks, Recreation, and Historic Preservation.

6pm – Book Talk + Author Discussion
A conversation on identity, coming of age, and storytelling moderated by Councilwoman Marsha Silverman.

Featuring authors:
• June Gervais – Jobs for Girls with Artistic Flair
• Forsyth Harmon – Justine

Author book signings will be available after the discussion, with books for purchase.

6:30pm – Live Performance by Opera Tenor Jasmine Rice LaBeija
Opera Diva. Drag Royalty. Pride Icon. At once opera and opulence, legacy and livewire, Jasmine Rice LaBeija is the diva you didn’t know you needed but absolutely deserve. Join us as love blooms and the stage comes alive with Jasmine’s unrelenting charisma, power, and passion.

Bring your friends, your pride, and your creativity!

For more information, please contact Lilly McGurk, Stewardship Director, at lmcgurk@plantingfields.org.

By registering for this event, you consent to Planting Fields Foundation photographing and filming during the event. These images may be used for promotional purposes, including social media, on our website, newsletters, grant requests, reports. As it may not be feasible to identify individuals who may wish to opt out, your registration implies your consent to be photographed. If you have any concerns, please contact us at lmcgurk@plantingfields.org

Accessibility Note: We strive to make Planting Pride: Love Blooms Here! a welcoming space for all. Please note that while the event is held outdoors and we make every effort to ensure accessibility, the West Portico and surrounding garden areas include some uneven terrain that may pose challenges for individuals using mobility devices. If you have specific access needs or questions, please contact us in advance at lmcgurk@plantingfields.org, and we will do our best to accommodate.