Events
In 2019, our co-founders Justin Correll and Martha Zabriski were celebrating 25 years of friendship and wanted to pay tribute to how they met one another. In 1994, our co-founders met in a children’s choir at Wilkes University. Their vision for this, thought to be a one-time event, was to raise money to grant a local high school senior a scholarship to a college or university to study their passions in any aspect of the arts. Little did each of them know that this event would be dubbed “The Met Gala '' of Northeastern Pennsylvania. Held annually, each September, the NEPA GAYLA is a themed event that celebrates the achievements of the NEPA Arts community, demonstrates the power of friends, family, and supporters, and educates by showing the magnitude of support for how the arts serve as an outlet for our community’s youth.
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2024: The MasquerGAYde
2023: Satur-Gay Night Fever
2022: Out of this Gaylaxy
2021: The Roaring 20’s “The Great Gaystby”
2019: NEPA GAYLA “Color is Fabulous”
NEPA Sing Down the House
In 2023, the NEPA Pride Project’s Vice Chair, Emily Churchfield, took charge of creating a new event called NEPA Sign Down the House. This event is a community get-together of soul-satisfying fun. An intimate, limited-ticket event features an evening of singing your heart out, listening to local vocal talent, and celebrating the power of song, all while raising funds for the NEPA Pride Projects' Arts in Action Scholarship Fund. So whether you're a seasoned singer or just enjoy belting out your favorite tunes in the shower, we invite you to join us for our next NEPA Sing Down the House event coming soon!
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An event modeled after the popular ABC hit television show “Dancing with the Stars.” Local Wilkes-Barre ‘celebrities’ are paired with professional dancers to compete for multiple coveted trophies. The event benefits KISS Theatre Company, an inclusive children’s theater whose mission is to provide arts education to the children of the Wyoming Valley. The NEPA Pride Project has been invited to participate in the two seasons and events.
In 2023, our co-founder Justin and his professional partner Emily Coolbaugh received the People’s Choice Award for raising more than $22,000, at $1 per vote. Justin knew some of his students at Solomon Elementary participated in KISS Theatre, and that’s why he agreed to take part. In 2024, our Board Member Jacob Kelley, known as NEPA’s fabulous drag queen Trixy Valentine, and pro Emily Coolbaugh danced to an eclectic mix, bringing members of the audience to their feet. Once again, the NEPA Pride Project’s team brought home two trophies: the Kiss Kids Choice Award and the People's Choice Award. Trixy raised just over $14,000 for the Kiss Kids.
The NEPA Pride Project is proud to align our organization with KISS Theatre Company, as their organization shares a similar mission: to support local theater as a safe space for our area’s youth to express their creative sides. For more information about KISS Theatre Company visit their website: Contact - (kisstheatre.org)
Dancing Stars of Wilkes- Barre
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Railriders: Pride in the Park Night
Through community relations and personal friendship, co-founder Martha helped lead the charge to create “Pride Night in the Park” with the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre Railriders. Since 2022, NEPA Pride Project, Rainbow Alliance, Queer NEPA, NEPA Pride Coalition and other LGBTQ supportive organizations have collaborated with the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre Railriders to hold a family friendly event celebrating a night of love, acceptance and inclusion. Through ticket sales, the collective group has received funds to support the NEPA Youth Shelter. The NEPA Youth Shelter is to provide quality emergency shelter and related services to unaccompanied youth ages 14 through high school graduation from all counties in NEPA. For more information on the NEPA Youth shelter visit their website: Youth Homelessness Services | NEPA Youth Shelter | Pennsylvania
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An event modeled after the popular ABC hit television show “Dancing with the Stars.” Local Wilkes-Barre ‘celebrities’ are paired with professional dancers to compete for multiple coveted trophies. The event benefits KISS Theatre Company, an inclusive children’s theater whose mission is to provide arts education to the children of the Wyoming Valley. The NEPA Pride Project has been invited to participate in the two seasons and events.
In 2023, our co-founder Justin and his professional partner Emily Coolbaugh received the People’s Choice Award for raising more than $22,000, at $1 per vote. Justin knew some of his students at Solomon Elementary participated in KISS Theatre, and that’s why he agreed to take part. In 2024, our Board Member Jacob Kelley, known as NEPA’s fabulous drag queen Trixy Valentine, and pro Emily Coolbaugh danced to an eclectic mix, bringing members of the audience to their feet. Once again, the NEPA Pride Project’s team brought home two trophies: the Kiss Kids Choice Award and the People's Choice Award. Trixy raised just over $14,000 for the Kiss Kids.
The NEPA Pride Project is proud to align our organization with KISS Theatre Company, as their organization shares a similar mission: to support local theater as a safe space for our area’s youth to express their creative sides. For more information about KISS Theatre Company visit their website: Contact - (kisstheatre.org)
Barnes & Noble "Pride Month Book Fair"
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Where We Started...
2019
Sadly due to the impact of COVID the 2020 GAYLA was cancelled.
2021
Sadly due to the impact of COVID the 2020 GAYLA was cancelled.