QUEER KIDS FEST
QUEER KIDS FEST: A JOYFUL CELEBRATION EVERY OCTOBER
QUEER KIDS FEST 2026 WILL BE HELD ON SATURDAY OCTOBER 3RD FROM 10:00AM-3:30PM
Queer Kids Fest is BACK for 2026! On Saturday, October 3, 10am-3:30pm, join us for a joyful festival of music, art, books, and creativity for 2SLGBTQIA+ kids, families, and allies! Now in its third year, Queer Kids Fest continues to delight families with joyful, inclusive fun. This year’s theme: A universe where every star belongs!
Musical guests this year include Carrie Ferguson and the Grumpytime Club Band; the Rhythm & Radiance Kids Chorus; Queer Joy Chorus; and an open mic youth variety show. (Signup slots available HERE!)
Art and entertainment this year include crafting and a parade with Resilient Community Arts. Author and entertainer Lindz Amer, known as Mx. Lindz on their YouTube show Queer Kid Stuff (with more than 30K subscribers), will read their picture book, Hooray for She, He, Ze, and They!: What Are Your Pronouns Today? (2024) and perform ukelele tunes. In the afternoon, Amer will lead a workshop for families centered on their nonfiction book, Rainbow Parenting: Your Guide to Raising Queer Kids and Their Allies (2023).
No tickets are necessary for this FREE event. Please join us!
This event is funded in part by the New England States Touring program of the New England Foundation for the Arts, made possible with funding from the National Endowment for the Arts and the six New England state arts agencies. Additional support for ‘Queer Kids Stuff, Live!’ provided by Greenfield Savings Bank and Easthampton Savings Bank, High Five Books, and Bombyx Center for Arts and Equity.
2026 Schedule:
10am: Doors open for crafting, face-painting, snacking, books & more! Emcee Wylder Ayres kicks off the fun!
10:30-11:15am: Performance by the Grumpytime Club Band
11:15am-12pm: Queer Kid Stuff, Live! featuring Mx. Lindz Amer
12:30-1:20pm: Open Mic Youth Variety Show (sign up!)
1:30-1:45pm: Crafty Parade with Resilient Community Arts
1:45-2:20pm: Performances by Rhythm & Radiance Youth Chorus and Queer Joy Chorus
2:45-3:30pm: Rainbow Parenting Workshop with author Lindz Amer
ALL DAY:
High Five Books vending the best-ever queer kidlit
A quiet room for regulating and taking a break
Craft opportunities galore!
Crooked Stick Pops, Caravan Kitchen, and Sapsucker Popcorn vending yummy snacks!
General Info: Queer Kids Fest (QKF) is a free, all-ages celebration of music, art, books, and joyful self-expression for 2SLGBTQIA+ kids, families, and allies. Held annually each October at the Northampton Center for the Arts at 33 Hawley, this festive day brings together local artists, authors, performers, and community partners to uplift queer youth and their creativity.
From storytime with award-winning authors to face-painting, hands-on crafts, an open mic youth variety show, and a crafty parade—Queer Kids Fest is packed with opportunities to shine, share, and celebrate together. You'll also find delicious snacks, queer kidlit vendors, and local makers who support inclusive family fun.
Why It Matters
At its heart, Queer Kids Fest is about belonging. It creates space for queer families and queer or questioning kids and their families to be fully themselves—joyfully, safely, and visibly—in a community that sees and celebrates them. It’s a day of connection, creativity, and confidence-building, powered by local artists and supported by people and organizations who care deeply about LGBTQ+ youth.
Whether you come to perform, parade, create, or simply enjoy the magic—this is your festival. Mark your calendar every October for this growing tradition rooted in love, art, and queer joy.
Your support helps make Queer Kids Fest possible—not just this year, but every year. Whether you're a local business, organization, or individual, your sponsorship or donation directly supports a joyful, affirming space for 2SLGBTQIA+ kids and families to gather, create, and shine. Let’s keep this beautiful tradition going, together.
Interested in sponsoring Queer Kids Fest AND Queer Adult Prom? Click here!
Every donation—whether it's $5, $25, $50, $100, or $500—helps build a more joyful, inclusive world for queer kids and their families. No amount is too small; your support makes a real difference and helps ensure Queer Kids Fest returns year after year.
