Sponsor the 2025 Rochester Queer Arts Festival

Help us transform Village Gate Square into a kaleidoscope of queer creativity! Your sponsorship keeps admission free, covers live entertainment and emerging-artist showcases, and puts real dollars in LGBTQIA+ artists’ pockets. Below are the opportunities to make an impact while giving your brand unforgettable visibility.

Title Sponsor — $5,000 - One Available

As the presenting partner, you underwrite the venue rental, staging, and day-of staffing that make the festival possible. Your name appears as “Presented by” on every poster, banner, and digital asset, and you’ll enjoy dominant signage throughout the site plus a complimentary double booth near the Main Stage in the atrium.

Bar Sponsor — $3,000 - One Available

Own the festival’s central watering hole. You’ll set up and run the main-atrium bar, keep 100 percent of sales, and see your branding splashed across bar signage and event wayfinding. The Bar Sponsor gets exclusive rights to host the “RQAF After Party” at their establishment where we will invite vendors, performers, and patrons alike to join us as we celebrate a fabulous day! An atrium booth is included if you’d like a separate sales or info space.

Rainbow Shield Sponsor — $3,000 - One Available

Your support funds professional security for the entire Rochester Queer Arts Festival, ensuring every guest, artist, and vendor can celebrate in a protected, judgment-free space. By standing as our Rainbow Shield, you champion safety, inclusivity, and the freedom for LGBTQIA+ creativity to shine without fear.

Main Stage Sponsor — $2,500 - CLAIMED - Crisp Rochester

Fuel the headliners—drag royalty and show-stopping performers—by covering artist fees and stage, sound, and lighting rental. Your logo will anchor the backdrop beside the main stage, and the emcee will give you a shout out before every act. An atrium booth near the stage is yours at no extra charge for your business.

No Labels Fashion Show Sponsor - $2,500 - One Available

Power the spotlight for “Beyond Labels: Fashion Without Gender,” presented by Luci & Dona—a bold runway event that dismantles gender norms and celebrates authentic self-expression. Staged on the Main Atrium Stage during the festival’s peak afternoon flow, the show brings together visionary queer and ally designers with a kaleidoscopically diverse cast of models to prove that style transcends labels. By becoming our Fashion Show Sponsor, you’ll underwrite essential production costs—from stage build-out to lighting—and provide honoraria that value every designer’s creativity and every model’s courage. Join us in funding this transformative experience and solidify your brand as a champion of inclusivity, innovation, and community pride.

Capture the Moment Sponsor - $2,500 - One Available

Step behind the lens of history! As our Capture the Moment Sponsor, your contribution covers a professional photo + video team (complete with sweeping drone footage) that will chronicle every dazzling detail of the Rochester Queer Arts Festival. These high-quality assets power our social media, press coverage, and next-year marketing—so you’re literally helping the festival grow frame by frame.

Perfect in-kind option: If you’re a local photographer or videographer, you can donate these services (valued at $2,500) instead of writing a check and still enjoy the full recognition package below.

VIP Lounge Sponsor — $1,500 - One Available

A private area for our sponsors, with more comfortable tables, chairs, easy access to the bar, complimentary snacks and non-alcoholic refreshments. You or your business will be prominently featured with banners, mentions from the stage, and on all of our directional signage. This sponsorship also comes with an atrium booth for your business, if you would like.

Outdoor Stage Sponsor — $1,500 - One Available

Support our tented courtyard stage, where singer-songwriters, bands, and soloists light up the afternoon. Your name and logo will appear on the stage fascia, directional signs, and the festival map, plus you’ll receive a complimentary atrium booth for your business.

Entertainment Sponsor — $1,000 - Three Available (or One $3,000 Sponsor)

Become a champion of queer art and performance! As an Entertainment Sponsor, your full sponsorship directly supports artist fees for performances across our three stages. Your contribution ensures we can fairly compensate the incredible local and national talent that brings the Rochester Queer Arts Festival to life. Sponsors will be recognized on-stage throughout the day, on our website and social media, and in festival signage near performance areas.

360-Photo-Booth Sponsor — $1,000 - CLAIMED - Pride and Joy Homes

Put your mark on every shareable moment. Your logo will appear on each 360-degree video guests post to social media, and you’ll receive banner placement at the booth as well as on wayfinding signs. An atrium booth is included for your business.

Demonstration Room Sponsor — $1,000 - CLAIMED - Trillium Health

Underwrite the upstairs classroom where artists give live demos all day long. Exclusive banners in the demo space and your logo on the printed schedule ensure constant exposure. You’ll also receive a complimentary atrium booth for your business.

Student Gallery Sponsor — $1,000 - CLAIMED - The Harley School

Give high-school and college artists a cost-free platform to show and sell their work. Your branding will headline the student gallery room and all directional signage, and you’ll be honored during the student awards announcement. An atrium booth is included for use of your business.

Inclusivity Sponsorships — $1,000 - Three Available (Or One $3,000 Sponsor)

Support accessibility and inclusion at the Rochester Queer Arts Festival by helping us provide ASL interpreters at our stages and create designated sensory-friendly areas where guests can enjoy the event in a calmer, low-stimulation environment, among other inclusivity upgrades to the festival. As an Inclusivity Sponsor, your support helps ensure that the festival is welcoming and accessible to all members of our community. Sponsorship includes brand recognition at sensory spaces, on interpreter signage, and on our website and social media.

Entrance Stage Sponsor — $750 - One Available

Power the spoken-word, poetry, and storytelling sets that greet every visitor at the door. Your logo will adorn the entrance-hall backdrop and signage, and we’ll reserve both an entrance-hall booth and—if you’d like—an additional atrium booth at no charge.

Supporter Sponsorship — $250 - Many Available

Show your community spirit with guaranteed acceptance and placement in the festival! Your name will appear on the festival website and printed program, and you can secure a vendor booth (booth fee paid separately).

In-Kind Sponsorships - PRICELESS.

Have stage, lighting, sound, tables and chairs, or media/advertising resources? Donate services or equipment and receive sponsor recognition commensurate with the value of your contribution.

Ready to claim your package? Opportunities are confirmed on a first-pledged basis.
To o lock in your partnership, fill out before the application below, and help us keep the Rochester Queer Arts Festival shining bright.

Please note that the Rochester Queer Arts Festival is produced by Drag Me to the Stage LLC, a for-profit company registered in the State of New York. While sponsorships are not tax-deductible, they are a meaningful way to gain brand visibility and name recognition in association with this community-driven event. Sponsorship dollars directly support the production and execution of the festival, allowing us to keep admission completely free to the public while amplifying queer voices through art, performance, and education.