🎭 Cosplay Karaoke: Sing-Along to Support LGBTQIA+ Youth!

Date: June 30, 2026
Time: 6:00 PM – 9:00 PM
Location: Heartwood Soundstage

Join us for an extraordinary evening filled with creativity, connection, and celebration as we sing pride anthems, recreate musical favorites from Broadway and Disney, and lift up our local queer youth! Allies and community members of all ages are welcome.

✨ What Awaits You:

Family-Friendly Cosplay: Wear your favorite costume from a musical, movie, show, comic, or video game! (Costumes are highly encouraged, but optional. Please keep it PG!)
Pride Month Karaoke: Take the stage or sing along from the crowd to celebrate pride and queer creativity.
Support the Arts: Every dollar raised helps fund a secure, accessible home base for Theatre Connect and the Pride Community Center's vital programs.

A New Stage: Why We Are Fundraising

In 2017, Theatre Connect launched as a grassroots initiative at the Pride Community Center of North Central Florida. Over the last nine years, alongside an incredible network of partners—including the Hippodrome, Curia, the Gainesville Community Counseling Center, Flowspace, the Lynx, and Heartwood Soundstage—we have built an affirming theatre arts and mental health program for queer youth and allies across the region.

Parents and participants routinely share a profound truth: this program brings vital light, hope, and a reason to keep going during their darkest days.

Today, non-profits serving LGBTQIA+ youth face unprecedented challenges as courts and state government continue to restrict funding and rights. We refuse to let these safe spaces disappear. To build long-term resilience, we are returning to our roots.

Returning to Our Roots

Starting tentatively September 1, our weekly rehearsals, workshops, and meetings will move into a permanent home base at the Pride Center's brand-new building (1204 NW 10th Ave). While our weekly programming will live there, we will proudly continue to collaborate with venues like Heartwood, the Hippodrome, Lynx, and Curia for special community events throughout the year.

Where the Money Goes: Our $3,000 Goal

Before our youth can safely take the stage at our new home base, we must fund critical physical upgrades. Our collective $3,000 campaign goal directly funds:

$2,000 to cover our community's 10% share of the Pride Center's total $20,000 stage and accessibility renovation costs.
$1,000 (split with Heartwood Soundstage) to keep our upcoming Shakespeare work moving forward and ensure our community Cosplay Karaoke events remain completely free for youth all year.

👑 Become a VIP Fundraiser!

Want to guarantee your moment in the spotlight? Register as a fundraiser for this campaign! VIP fundraisers who help us rally donations can reserve an exclusive 5-minute karaoke slot during the event.

To sign up as a VIP fundraiser, register here: Become a VIP. For more information, email us at director@theatreconnect.org or visit theatreconnect.org.

A Special Thanks: This event is made beautifully possible by our hosts at Heartwood Soundstage! Thank you for standing with our community and helping us build a stage where our youth can truly shine. Check out this article about our recent Student Showcase event hosted by Heartwood and funded by the Gainesville GCRA: WUFT Theatre Connect Student Showcase

Pride 26: Cosplay Karaoke

Help PCCNCF & TC Move Into Their New Home!

Team Members