Sarasota church The Harvest encourages community unity at Diverse Fest

Sarasota community members celebrated a vast array of identities last weekend at an ever-growing yearly celebration, enjoying tunes, connection and camaraderie.

The Harvest Sarasota hosted its third annual Diverse Fest on June 14 at the church, featuring a full day of musical entertainment, booths for local organizations and family-friendly fun, including free henna.

Rev. Dan Minor said he is amazed at how the celebration has grown year to year. He said organizers first launched the festival when conversation concerning diversity "became a political football."

"We felt this shouldn't be about politics," he said. "It's about human rights. So we started this event, not in protest of that, but to have something in Sarasota that's sending a different message — that every person in our community, no matter how they love, how they vote, what they look like, the color of their skin, their gender or anything else, should feel welcome, loved, seen and valued."

He shared his appreciation for community sponsors, particularly SeacoastBank, who facilitated making the get-together bigger than ever.

The turnout pleased KK Burchell, who coordinated the event. She said the event originated when she and a coworker considered hosting an event at the church for Pride Month. 

But they realized they could expand the celebration to include people of many identities, as June also includes Juneteenth and closely follows Mental Health Month.

"We wanted to celebrate everyone, especially when we have so many amazing organizations already focusing on pride," Burchell said. "Last year, we had way more people show up than we expected. Everyone seemed to enjoy it and just wanted it to be even bigger."

Both Minor and Burchell are members of the church's band, which was one of many musical acts to grace the stage that afternoon. Also performing were members of Dingbat Theatre Project, Merge Eleven, Azara Ballet, Midas Dancers, IIZTOC and Jah Movement.

Singers from Dingbat Theatre Project kicked off the day's musical offerings, also promoting its current run of the show "Pippin" that runs through this weekend.

The event also featured a variety of artists and crafters, including local painter Sam North, who runs the brand "Sammy thrashLife." He never saw himself going down the path of becoming an artist, but when he sought support dealing with addiction recovery and managing borderline personality disorder, advisors recommended he express himself through paint.

Now, his works are on display at local shops and other venues.

North said he believes it is the humor and bright color in his art that particularly draws in viewers.

Elena Torres Biset, owner of Creative Coaching, recently launched a coaching business for families with members diagnosed with ADHD, and she said she appreciated having a venue to connect with people who may find her services useful.

"My daughter is also trans, and this is a fantastic place to reach out and meet other people," she said.

Diverse Fest also featured representatives from local LGBTQ+ organizations, like PFLAG Sarasota.

The national organization started more than 50 years ago as a resource to help families navigate their relationships with a member who has changed their identity. It claims to be the largest national organization offering education about the LGBTQ+ community for allies.

The local chapter, which is 8 years old, meets the last Monday of the month at 6 p.m. at the Oasis Center.

Sheila Weiss, a founding member, said the group is happy to help out anyone who wants guidance, even just through a phone call.

"We come together to offer resources and programs and fellowship and conversation for folks who are traveling their own journey, whether for themselves or with a family member," she said.

She said the group is open to anyone, adding, "We have grandparents that want to be accepting and have their grandchildren in their lives who may be trans or nonbinary. And they're learning, and they become fantastic advocates for people. It's so amazing to watch."

Learn more at pflagsarasota.org.

Project Pride SRQ, which recently hosted Silver Pride, shared updates on its upcoming events, including a quarterly neighborhood cleanup day on July 19 at 1825 S. Osprey Ave.

Looking ahead to next year, Minor said coordinators may make small adjustments, like shifting the date earlier in the year to beat the heat, allowing them to host the fest outdoors and continue to grow the celebration.

To keep up with events at The Harvest throughout the summer, visit HarvestSarasota.com/events-calendar.