2nd Annual Rochester Queer Arts Festival
Saturday, October 11, 2025 | Village Gate Square | Rochester, NY | 10AM - 6PM
~Most Applications Are Now Closed~
~Click "Get Involved" For Wait Lists and Remaining Opportunities~
~Most Applications Are Now Closed~ ~Click "Get Involved" For Wait Lists and Remaining Opportunities~
2025 Official Poster Design Announced!
Artist:
Cordell Cordaro is a multidisciplinary artist, filmmaker, and publisher based in Rochester, NY. Known for his swanky, expressive portraits and whimsical scenes, Cordaro’s work defies classical ideals of beauty in favor of something more emotionally true and human. His figures—both elegant and idiosyncratic—inhabit a world of their own, where charm and distortion exist side by side to reveal the inner longings and quiet defiance behind the outward pose.
His artwork spans painting, ink, and mixed media, and has found collectors across the U.S. and internationally in the UK, Singapore, Greece, Spain, and Canada. From solo booths in New York and Florida to packed shows in his hometown, Cordaro’s style is instantly recognizable: stylized, layered, mythic, and cinematic—sometimes like a frame out of Casablanca, sometimes like a fairy tale on the edge of unraveling.
Having previously designed the poster for the Corn Hill Arts Festival, we are honored to have Cordell design our first official poster! Guests will be able to purchase t-shirts, bags, drink ware, hats, and more at the festival this year featuring Cordell’s fabulous design.
A Celebration of LGBTQIA+ Creativity and Community.
We are back for 2025, with a new home at Village Gate, RQAF will be bigger and better. Most exciting of all, we are now a FREE event for the community.
Now, more than ever, it is important that we show up and support our LGBTQIA+ artists, and our allies.
New for 2025
By partnering with Village Gate Square, we are able to expand our offerings this year to include even more opportunities to experience local artists, performers, and culinary options from the LGBTQIA+ Community and our allies.
Vendors and Artists
A showcase of local artisans, hand-crafters, and professional artists. With an expanded footprint this year, we are able to offer vendors in the upper and lower atrium, as well as the main entrance corridor! Plenty of Food and Beverage options as well! Enjoy the Village Gate Restaurants, Food Trucks, Food Carts, and a Full Atrium Bar and spend the whole day with us!
Workshops and Demos
Try a new craft or skill! Short 20-min artist demos will run all day, and in-depth 50-min workshops can be reserved in advance (tickets available in Sept).
Live Performances
This year we are thrilled to bring you fabulous live entertainment on three stages!
Atrium Stage – drag performances and headliner acts (prime entertainment).
Festival Tent Stage – bands and ensembles performing in the courtyard.
Entrance Stage – intimate acts like solo performers, spoken word, and poetry.
Beyond Labels: Fashion Without Gender storms the Rochester Queer Arts Festival, where Queer and Ally Designers present boundary-breaking looks that shred the binary and celebrate every body. Presented by Luci and Dona.
Student Gallery
A curated Student Art Gallery will display works by talented high school and college artists from Upstate NY, giving young creators a platform to shine, and sell their work!
Drag Tag Sale
Now YOU can take home a piece of the closets of some of the most popular drag performers in our area. Costumes, wigs, jewelry, shoes! They will have it all for sale!
News and Updates.
October 11, 2025 | 10:00AM - 6:00PM
274 N. Goodman Street, Rochester, NY 14607
Come check us out in our new home at Village Gate Square, right in the heart of The Neighborhood of the Arts in Rochester, NY. This partnership has allowed us to expand the festival, and get rid of the admission fee!
Sponsors and Partners
Main Stage Sponsor
Inclusivity Sponsor
Supporting Sponsor
Entertainment Sponsor
Presenting Sponsor
Workshop Room Sponsor
Supporting Sponsor
VIP Lounge Sponsor
Inclusivity Sponsor
Student Gallery Sponsor
Atrium Bar Sponsor
Entertainment Sponsor
Entertainment Sponsor
Photo Booth Sponsor
Event Tent Bar Sponsor
Hotel Partner
Supporting Sponsor
