Bay Area Pride at Great America
Bay Area Pride’s Inaugural Year - uniting the Bay’s colorful LGBTQIA+ communities, families, and allies for a celebration of diversity, inclusivity and joy.
If you’ve ever felt like an outsider, like you have to dim your light to survive in this world, you know how important it is to have a space where you can truly be free. Bay Area Pride might have been in it’s inaugural year- but the community feeling was so strong.
I had the honor of being invited by my good friend Sarah, the owner and creative behind Made by Mocha. She’s so friendly that within a few mins of arriving she knew all the other vendor names and becoming their best friend.
The day was capped with amazing performances by tons of Bay Area talent including Miss Queera Knightly and Red Corvette, a Prince Cover band. To give the feeling of all the color of Pride, I used all the decorations like balloons, streamers and flags to bring the rainbow to each performance!
“Bay Area Pride is more than just a single event – it’s a year-round commitment to celebrating, uplifting, and empowering our diverse LGBTQIA+ community, families, and allies. We believe that everyone deserves to feel safe, loved, and accepted for who they are.”
Connect with the Vendors!
Bay Area Pride - instagram.com/bayareapride2k/
Made by Mocha - instagram.com/madebymocha/
Preppy Parties - instagram.com/preppy_.parties/
Miss Queera Knightly - instagram.com/missqueeranightly/
Purim with Chabad of Tracy
Purim Celebration with Chabad of Tracy and featuring a fire show with the TikTok Rabbi Izzy Adelist!
Not only was this my first Purim, it was Chabad of Tracy’s first Purim in their new location AND Dovber’s first birthday! The moment I walked into the backyard, I knew Faigy’s sister Blumie was with us in spirit from all the beautiful decorations. Blumie held a women’s gathering a few months ago, teaching women in the community some simple ways to dress your table for every occasion and it was evident Faigy had been taking notes!
Linoy and Eran Even-Kesef
The community gathered in costumes and with noise -makers for the readings. It’s tradition to make a ton of noise when Haman’s name is read, and the kids really love it. Ruby a little too much as she kept making noise even when Haman’s name wasn’t read. Oops!
It wouldn’t be a Chabad event without lots of good food! Fresh bread rolls, cooling salads, braised chicken and these delicious rosemary garlic potatoes kept bellies full! Hamantashen overnighted from New York for dessert.
Dovber’s birthday cake!
One of my favorite parts of the night was Dovber’s birthday celebration. I have been so blessed to get to see him grow up over the last year. Levi and Faigy were expecting him when we first met them the November before they moved to Tracy. He was just a few months old when they made the journey across the country and we finally got to meet him! We’ve spent a lot of time hanging out and he’s always got a smile for me so he definitely ranks among my favorite kids on the planet.
Also fresh from New York, the TikTok Rabbi Izzy Adelist impressed kids and adults alike by juggling apples and eating them. He pushed it even further by juggling knives over Levi. My kids were disappointed that they couldn’t risk their lives and after seeing him almost “drop” the knives at the end, they were glad they couldn’t. I’m sure it was a show drop to give a little extra concern to the audience before he juggled with fire, but I’m not going to tell them that!
