Rainbow Weekend returns to downtown Kent Oct. 17–19. The free event consists of multiple activities such as queer storytelling, a 5K walk for visibility, the weekend unicorn scavenger hunt and more activities providing LGBTQ+ celebration.
The weekend’s scavenger hunt will be held across 18 downtown businesses. Barrio Tacos, Bent Tree Coffee and Sun in Leo stand as just a few of the locations where you can search for the mythical creature with the potential to win one of 10 $25 gift cards from participating businesses.
The unicorns were put up on Monday and will remain hidden until Sunday. The more you find, the higher your odds of winning based on raffle entries. Finding six unicorns equates to one entry, and finding all 18 gives you five entries.
Other activities include decorating the Main Street bridge for those interested in a community focused event and safe space training.
On Friday, from 4:30-6 p.m., Laziza will offer its social hour, titled “Visibility is Victory.” Attendees can connect with LGBTQ+ and allied professionals, take headshot photos and get snacks and drinks at the self-pay bar.
Collaborators of the social hour are Plexus LGBT and Allied Chamber of Commerce, Leadership Portage County and the Kent Area Chamber of Commerce.
Information on registration for “Visibility is Victory” and the full Rainbow Weekend calendar can be found on Eventbrite and the Main Street Kent website.
The annual event, which started in 2020, is a way to celebrate LGBTQ+ pride for the Kent community. It was created as a collaboration between Main Street Kent, downtown businesses and the now-closed LGBTQ+ Center.
The center closed on June 27 as a response to Kent State’s compliance with Ohio’s Senate Bill 1.
“The beneficiary of a lot of what we do for this event used to be the LGBTQ center, the emergency fund. It is now a similar fund at the Portage Foundation,” Lesley Sickle, the marketing and branding representative of Main Street Kent, said.
The Portage Foundation introduced “The LGBT+ Fund” this year as a direct response to the closing of the center in recognition of how it could impact Kent students and local residents.
“I think it makes it very clear, for our organization particularly, to let people know that we are a community. We are an organization that believes in and condones all kinds of things like diversity and just being open-minded and accepting of all people,” Heather Malarcik, the executive director of Main Street Kent, said.
Isaac Lezaic is a reporter. Contact him at [email protected].