Be the Rainbow | hello again books

5th Annual Be the Rainbow Event

9:30am - 2pm on June 7, 2025

A day full of family fun celebrating diversity in Brevard County, Florida!

BE THE RAINBOW!

Saturday, June 7, 2025: 9:30-2 pm

This family event welcomes children and adults of all ages. Activities and events will honor and celebrate diversity within our community throughout the day. Come dressed to “Be the rainbow!” We invite attendees to wear bright colors, unicorn t-shirts, tutus… whatever makes attendees feel happy and full of pride! Remember that this is a family event and we're good!

THE RAFFLE: FABULOUS GIFT BASKETS will be on display at hello again books all day on June 7th. Three drawings (one for each of the gift baskets) will take place at 2 pm, June, 7, 2025, at hello again books. Participants do not need to be present to win.

To enter, purchase $1 raffle tickets at hello again books throughout the day. 100% of the raffle goes to this and future Be the Rainbow events! There is no limit to the number of tickets an individual can purchase! Bring CASH!

Are you a local business, artist, or maker who wants to donate something to the FABULOUS GIFT BASKETS? Just bring your donation by and make sure we get a picture so we can promote your awesomeness!

Here's our full schedule of fun for our Be the Rainbow event on Saturday, June 7, 2025!

9:30 a.m. – Pride Pet Parade co-hosted by Tails at the Barkery: Start at the Gazebo in Myrt Tharpe Square and walk through the village with your pet! Swing by Tails at the Barkery to get some treats for your lovely doggies (and cats!)! Awards given for rainbow-themed costumes for you AND your pet, so come dressed to impress! We're talkin' rainbow colors, themed carriages, and sparkles galore!
9:30 a.m. - 2 p.m. - The Rainbow Marketplace in Myrt Tharpe Square: We invite organizations, crafters, and small businesses to be vendors throughout the day so we can learn more about who they are and show our support.
10:30 a.m. – Moment of Remembrance: June 12 marks the anniversary of the Pulse nightclub tragedy. In honor of those we lost, the survivors, those who lost someone close to them, and all who were impacted, we conduct a short reading followed by a moment of silence.
11-2 p.m. – Be the Rainbow Sticker Scavenger Hunt: Access the digital map (provided the morning of the scavenger hunt!) via hello again books website and explore the village! Shop, make new friends, and have fun collecting a sticker from participating merchants. Feel free to wear your stickers or keep them for later… Best luck collecting them all!
11 a.m. – FABULOUS Gift Basket Raffle Sales start: Check out the THREE FABULOUS gift baskets (3!!!) and purchase your $1 raffle tickets benefitting Be the Rainbow. There is NO ticket purchase limit (but you DO need to put your 1st name and phone number on every ticket!).
11:15 a.m. – Story Time with a special guest reader! We read “The Night Before Pride.” If there’s time for a second book, we’ll add one!
2 p.m. – FABULOUS Gift Basket Raffle Drawing: We draw the winning tickets at hello again books!
2:30 p.m. - Relax! End a week of joy, pride, and fun events at The Village Idiot pub! Feel free to join us as we thank our volunteers with a pint or a soda (or a lot of water, because it gets HOT in June, just a warning!).
Sponsorship opportunities are available and thank you for your support!

This event celebrating our LGBTQ+ community is for EVERYONE!
Friends, families, kids, adults, seniors, allies... EVERYONE!

Want to volunteer?

When it comes to Be the Rainbow, we need all hands on deck! Whether you dedicate an hour or two or want to provide a service or host an event, we would be happy to hear from you!

We’re always looking for help with skills in specific areas like graphic design or woodworking, people who LOVE working with people and can help keep crowds safe during events, and people who don’t mind carrying things, setting up events, taking down those events, or maybe you enjoy a good clean-up session?

If this sounds like you, why don’t you send us an email? Let’s talk! helloagainbooks@gmail.com

Want to be a vendor in the Rainbow Marketplace?

Most of our activities are centered at hello again books, but we do also rent out the gazebo area (formally named Myrt Tharpe Square). We have events that will require open space, but we do offer a number of vendor spots. Space is limited. Priority goes to LGBTQ+ creators and nonprofits, but we welcome everyone! We'll do our best to squeeze everyone in!

Send an email to helloagainbooks@gmail.com if you'd like to be a vendor in the Rainbow Marketplace!

Merchant participation in Be the Rainbow!

Do you own, operate, or manage a local business, shop, or restaurant and want to participate in Be the Rainbow but don’t know how? Here are a few options, but we’re open to suggestions!

Contribute to the FABULOUS Gift Baskets

What are the FABULOUS Gift Baskets? They are three (3) very large gift baskets that are raffled off on the Be the Rainbow event day, June 8, 2024. They are HUGE. They make people want to buy tickets. They are glorious! But most importantly for merchants, they are a direct line between your products and potential new customers! Take advantage of this unique opportunity to highlight some of your best-selling items, debut something new, or simply provide a gift card to get new customers in the door.

We encourage gift donations of ‘FABULOUS’ items to be included in the baskets and welcome your store products, branded items, or shelf-stable deliciousness! Feel free to email us helloagainbooks@gmail.com to discuss your contribution ideas.

Gift basket donors will be highlighted in dedicated social media and during the June 8 event.

“Be the Rainbow brings together merchants in the village who generously donate to the raffle gift baskets and take part in the sticker scavenger hunt. Merchant participation supports a village-wide day of fun and provides product and store exposure for local businesses and that’s fantastic. But it’s important to note that their participation also sends a message of acceptance to the LGBTQIA+ community: These shops, restaurants, and other establishments? They welcome us.” – Amy, co-owner of hello again books

Local merchants, small businesses, and companies can make a monetary donation to support Be the Rainbow:

We welcome donations of any amount! Please note that all recognition will be at your discretion. Should you choose to remain anonymous we will honor that decision.

ARE YOU a store or business located in historic Cocoa Village that would like to PARTICIPATE in the STICKER SCAVENGER HUNT?

Step 1: Contact us by June 4, 2025! Email us at helloagainbooks@gmail.com or stop by!

Step 2: Let us know if you're running any special sales or special offerings during the June 7 event; we would be happy to promote it via social!

Step 3: Decorate your store for the June 7 Be the Rainbow event! Rainbows, bright colors, pride flags… BE the rainbow! People love photo opportunities, so take advantage of the event by creating a photo-worthy space in your store!

Step 4: On June 7, we invite you to dress in bright, rainbow colors!

Step 5: Share information about your participation and general excitement about the event on your website and social media! And if you donate to the FABULOUS Gift Baskets, share photos and information about that too.

Step 6: Have fun!