Pride in the Sky, John Waters, The Gay Gasp, Nina West & More: A Look Back at BGHV’s 2024

This Winter & Spring BGHV’s after work networking mixer – the PROS – hosted monthly meetups all over the Valley from Rhinebeck & Kingston down to Fishkill.

The hunky gay ex-mormon Broadway daddy had crowds in Kingston + Albany rolling this March with his hilarious and heartwarming stories of growing up gay, finding his way to the stage, and contemplating fatherhood while shuttling a cup of his own sperm across Manhattan.

Keeping the mid-Winter laughs going, BGHV’s all-new queer comedy showcase – The Gay Gasp – had a sold out Rosendale Theatre audience rolling with sets from acclaimed performers Alejandro Morales, Sam Morrison, Sheria Mattis & Nico Carney.

OK so it’s chocolate…sorry for the fake out! Created in partnership with our friends at Fruition Chocolate Works in Shokan, NY, our inaugural limited run Gay Bar was a sultry 69% cocoa treat flavored like a classic Manhattan cocktail with vermouth, rye and cherry. The 2024 stock sold out & a portion of the proceeds were donated to the Hudson Valley LGBTQ+ Community Center and Dutchess Pride Center.

BGHV kicked off Pride season in our largest way yet! In partnership with our friends at the Walkway Over the Hudson, May’s Pride in the Sky saw 3,000+ visitors fill the park with color as hundreds of volunteers paraded a gigantic rainbow flag over the Hudson River. The event also featured festivals on both sides of the river and a nighttime dance party in the middle of the bridge.

The Hudson Valley hosted an astounding number of LGBTQ+ Pride events up & down the river this year. 75+ parties, festivals, rallies and parades spanned the region from Albany down to Yonkers.

Our hit Summer Orchard Disco returned to Highland’s Bad Seed Hard Cider where attendees soaked up the afternoon sunshine and then danced the night away under the stars. Our rotating guest DJs included Go Go Gadget, Bright Light Bright Light and the Hudson Valley’s own Michael V.

Who doesn’t love a warm summer night at the Dutchess County Fair? BGHV + a couple hundred folx spent a pop-up August night under the lights (complete with funnel cake and a ferris wheel ride or two).

RuPaul’s Drag Race All Star Nina West brought her touring show to Poughkeepsie’s Vassar College in September. Exploring all things comical and queenly, her one night only performance lit up the crowd in the Hudson Valley’s Queen City.

BGHV’s annual all-ages queer Fall festival filled the orchard & tap room at Highland’s Bad Seed Hard Cider in October. A crowd of 700+ packed the grounds for an afternoon & evening of haaayrides, flannel, drag story time, and a special edition “Bushels & Pecs” cabaret variety show.

In November BGHV partnered with Come Out Central New York to produce a statewide Pride organizers conference. With the goal of networking these creators, connecting them with state & local resources, and empowering them to produce even better Pride celebrations, nearly 100 folx from all corners of New York State gathered in Syracuse for the one day event.

We took the adage “don we now our gay apparel” very seriously this holiday season! Between a sold out three city run of our queer holiday burlesque spectacular HUNG With Care, a fundraising fun run in uptown Kingston, and a performance by pop culture legend John Waters at Kingston’s Old Dutch Church it was definitely a holiday season to remember.