As colorful wristbands and handwritten name tags filled the entrance area of Vizcaya Museum and Gardens on Friday, guests began the night by sitting in small circles and introducing themselves through guided prompts. Inside the historic estate, conversations formed quickly as attendees arrived for Vizcaya Late: Pride Edition, a Pride Month event centered on LGBTQIA+ connection, art, and community.
Held from 6:30 to 9:30 p.m., the after-hours program brought together performances, interactive installations, and facilitated discussions designed to help guests meet one another in a structured, yet comfortable setting. Alongside celebration, the event emphasized connection, creating a safe space for LGBTQIA+ attendees to form relationships in a setting that blended social programming with cultural experience.
The evening focused on both visibility and community-building within Miami’s LGBTQIA+ scene. Rather than relying solely on spontaneous interaction, the event offered the opportunity for guests to participate in guided conversation sessions, identity-based signaling through wristbands, and rotating group formats to encourage more intentional engagement.
Upon entering, attendees were greeted by We Met in Miami, an organization that offered a series of facilitated conversation rounds throughout the night. Guests chose wristbands indicating what they were open to finding: green for love, blue for friendship, and rainbow for LGBTQIA+ connections, before joining small group discussions.
Participants took part in three 30-minute conversation rounds, with groups reshuffled between each session. The format encouraged guests to move beyond introductions and engage in more personal discussions about identity, queer joy, and shared experiences, with each rotation creating new group dynamics and opportunities for connection.
Jessica Bakeman, founder of We Met in Miami and a former WLRN journalist, said the organization came from her own need for community.
”This is what I needed in my life right now,” Bakeman said when asked about the organization’s significance to her. “I was lonely, I wanted opportunities to make meaningful connections in person through shared interests and shared values.”
Bakeman went on to explain that We Met in Miami is focused on giving people structured opportunities to build relationships and foster connections within the LGBTQIA+ community, particularly through guided in-person experiences designed to help strangers meet in meaningful ways. “We bring together people actively seeking connection, give them something fun to do, and then help them deepen those connections with thoughtful, facilitated conversations.”
They also explained that the quilt-inspired backdrop was intentional, noting its association with softness and its connection to collectiveness and community.
One of the most active spaces inside the museum was PDA (Photographic Displays of Affection), an interactive instant photo booth and decoration station created by interdisciplinary artist, fashion designer, and founder of the inclusive fashion label Chromat, Bex McCharen.
Guests stopped by the booth throughout the night to take photos with friends, partners, and new acquaintances, decorating their prints before continuing through the event. McCharen described the installation as rooted in ideas of openness and comfort.
“I’ve always loved the ocean,” McCharen said, describing the backdrop of the photos- a handmade quilt featuring images of their friends in the water. “It feels like an expression of freedom and a place where people can just be themselves without judgment.”
Outside, the event expanded onto Vizcaya’s waterfront grounds as guests gathered along Biscayne Bay, moving between conversations, music, and dancing as the evening progressed. The structured conversation format inside gradually gave way to a more open social atmosphere outside, though the focus on connection remained central.
As the nighttime sky settled over the estate, the energy shifted toward the main stage, where Miami drag performer Jellika Boom served as emcee for the evening’s festivities. Crowned Miami New Times’ Best Drag Performer, Boom entertained guests with interactive moments, photo ops, and a high-energy performance.
Dressed in a striking Poison-Ivy-inspired ensemble, Boom delivered a set under the rainbow-colored lights that blended theatrical flair with the celebration of Pride. Among the featured songs was Lady Gaga’s “Garden of Eden,’ drawing cheers from the crowd as attendees danced and sang along.
Throughout the night, the event balanced celebration with connection. Whether guests arrived seeking friendship, romance, artistic inspiration, or simply a welcoming place to spend a summer evening, Vizcaya Late: Pride Edition offered opportunities to find all of the above.
Attendee Samantha Gonzalez reflected on the atmosphere created throughout the evening, explaining, “It was just really nice to be in a space where everyone was encouraged and invited to be fully out and proud and visible in a way that a lot of parts of society, especially in the current climate, can really try to cover up or suppress because it might feel safer to go unnoticed.”
As the final songs faded and guests slowly made their way out to their cars, many left with more than just bedazzled Polaroid photos and colorful wristbands. They departed with new phone numbers, new friendships, and a lingering sense that spaces like this challenge what everyday life can often ask people to hide, offering instead an openness and sense of pride that stayed with them beyond the night.
