ST. PETERSBURG, FL \u2014 The first-ever event geared towards the Tampa Bay area\u2019s sapphic community kicked off Saturday night and will host a range of events across St. Petersburg through Nov. 9. <\/p>\n
Sapphic St. Pete<\/a> is the brainchild of local artist, event organizer and publisher Rachel Covello, who created the weeklong festival to fill a need in the LGBTQ community. <\/p>\n \u201cI think we do pride events throughout the year \u2014 Winter Pride, St. Pete Pride and I love that there\u2019s lots of little LGBT groups pupping up and hosting events,\u201d she told Patch. \u201cBut I really wanted an event that focused on the sapphic community; not just lesbians, but trans, nonbinary, pansexual, bisexual, all kinds of identities that connect with that feminine energy.\u201d<\/p>\n Covello pointed to similarly themed and successful events in other Florida communities. <\/p>\n \u201cKey West has WomenFest and [the Fort] Lauderdale [area] has Women\u2019s Week,\u201d she said. \u201cAnd just living here [in St. Pete,] I know that our community, our area has probably the largest population of sapphic community members.\u201d<\/p>\n While pride events often focus on parties and fun, Covello said she approached organizing Sapphic St. Pete differently. There are a handful of parties on the schedule for the week, but there are also other types of events \u2014 an art show, a movie night, coffee and crafts, speed dating, a Yappy Hour for dog lovers, a gathering centered on board games. (Find the full schedule here.<\/a>)<\/p>\n \u201cI think a lot of these big pride events, while fun, don\u2019t allow a lot of space and time for connection,\u201d she said. \u201cThey\u2019re loud. There\u2019s music. And they\u2019re fun, but I, myself, am 45, and I don\u2019t want to be in loud crowded places outside while it\u2019s hot.\u201d<\/p>\n Covello intentionally \u201ccreated spaces indoors as well as outdoors in a cooler climate where there\u2019s actually an opportunity to connect, like at an art show or speed dating with tacos.\u201d<\/p>\n She hopes to build on Sapphic St. Pete in the coming years and grow it into an event that draws people from across the state.<\/p>\n \u201cHopefully, women come out so we can continue doing this year after year \u2014 well, not just women; unfortunately, there\u2019s not a great label out there,\u201d Covello said, adding, \u201cEvery event like this has to have a starting place. As we move forward, we might be like Key West of Lauderdale. We want to create an event people remember and where they make connections so they want to come back next year. We\u2019re planting the seed for future growth.\u201d<\/p>\n Some of the highlights of the festival include: <\/p>\n Drawn to Flesh: A Sapphic Art Show<\/a>, Sunday, 5 p.m., at Five Deuces Galleria. This art event features visual art, live tattooing, on-site body painting, and bold works by queer women and nonbinary artists \u2014 some showing their works for the first time.Sapphic Speed Gayting<\/a>, Tuesday, 6 to 8 p.m., Ride\u2019em Cowboy. A speed dating event with tacos.Burlesque at the Ball: Femmes & Follies<\/a>, Wednesday, 9:30 to 11:30 p.m., at The Ball. Katie James will perform.LickHer & Laughs Comedy Show<\/a>, Friday, 6:30 to 9 p.m., at Allendale United Methodist. Queer comedians on the lineup include Bear Webb, Te Davis and Georgia Dawkins. WePaddle Sapphic St. Pete<\/a>, Saturday, 8:30 to 11 a.m., Coffee Pot Bayou. Kayaks and paddleboards available.Queer Picnic<\/a>, Saturday, 11 a.m. to 1 p.m., at Lassing Park. A laidback picnic geared towards queer families with kids. Your Body\u2019s Electric: A Night for Queer(ish) Women<\/a>, Saturday, 6:30 to 11 p.m., at The Body Electric Yoga Company.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"ST. 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