SALT LAKE CITY — Summer Falkenrath has been making earrings, buttons, magnets and more for two years.
“As someone who's native to Utah, I grew up here my whole life for 30 years," they said. "It was my dream to table at pride. That was, like, my top tier goal, starting my businesses, like, I want to table it pride one day.”
The owner of 'Falkencraft' was a vendor at the Utah Pride Festival for the first time last year, and possibly the last because they can’t afford a booth this year.
“I'm trying to do my art full time for people now and give them affordable accessories and clothing for any identity that they are, but I can't afford that fee because there's no guarantee that I can make that money back," they said.
Many other artists won’t be selling at the festival this June either, Falkenrath said.
“By having the queer artists there, you're directly helping those people find housing, put food on their tables," they said. "By not being there, that cuts them out of earning their money to be able to survive.”
More than 150,000 people attend Pride; the state’s biggest Pride festival is just one weekend, but the money raised goes toward helping LGBTQ+ people all year long, said Jonathan Foulk, Co-CEO of the Utah Pride Center.
“We want to invite these small businesses and small individuals to actually see where your money is going," he said. "It's not just to put on this festival, it's actually to provide lifesaving programs and services, and that's why we're here.”
Last year, vendors could pay $400 for a shared booth. This year, applications start at $1,500 for a 10-by-10-foot booth.
“A pride center saved my life," he said. "When I came out, I was living in foster families, and when I came out, I was told, 'You're better off dead,' and I found resources that actually saved my life by walking into a center.”
Battling inflation, while still providing free lifesaving services for people of all ages, the Pride Center had no choice but to raise prices on pride booths this year, he said. The Pride Center will also be offering scholarships that vendors can apply for.
