This summer, Quilt Project Gold Coast (QPGC) displayed Quilts at six Pride festivals, with four already covered. The last two? On Jul. 25 QPGC had a booth and quilts at the Ventura Pride Festival in Plaza Park near Downtown Ventura.
On Aug. 22 the Santa Barbara Pride Festival was held along the beach. Like last year, Pacific Pride (PPF) provided us with a special area where we showed all of our AIDS Memorial Quilts at the festival’s entrance. QPGC was also honored to receive their 2026 Pride Resilience award (see above) on the main stage.
On Aug. 27 QPGC set up AIDS Memorial Quilts at Cal State University, Channel Island’s (CSUCI) Broome Library in Camarillo. This display will be up through October AIDS Awareness Month (Oct. 30).
QPGC also continues to have our Quilting bees on the 2nd and 4th Wednesdays through Nov. 11.
In advance of October AIDS Awareness Month this year, QPGC was at the Universalist Unitarian Church of Santa Paula (UUCSP) on Sep. 27 for their Sunday service, with a display of our AIDS Memorial Quilts (see next page).
We will be at Moorpark College Oct. 14 for their Health Fair. This is always a nice event to talk to students about HIV / AIDS. Also on Oct. 14, we will be setting up an ofrenda (memorial) in the Broome Gallery to accompany our Quilt display. The ofrenda will be up until Oct. 30, just before Dia de los Muertos.
For UU Church of Ventura’s Nov. 1 Dia de los Muertos Sunday morning service, several of our Quilts will grace their memorial ofrenda.
Please join us Nov. 15 for Paddy’s Drag Queen Bingo to benefit the Quilt. We will also be at Cal Lutheran University Nov. 17 for a full day of awareness activities, including a Quilting bee for honors students. Nov. 19-Dec. 3, stop by the Camarillo Public Library 1st floor lobby to see our Quilt display, which will conclude with a Dec. 3 presentation and Quilting bee.
Nov. 29 we will be at All Saints Church in Oxnard for their services, and Dec. 1 we will host our annual World AIDS Day display and candlelight vigil on the steps of Ventura City Hall, with the council presenting us with a proclamation Dec. 8.
None of these events would be possible without our amazing volunteers. Happy Fall, everyone!
Keith Coffman-Grey, President
Photo: Pacific Pride Foundation presents