Celebrate the Season at the Queer Joy Collaborative’s Winter Ball!
Date: Saturday, December 21, 2024
Time: 8:00 PM
Location: 33 Hawley Street, Northampton (Northampton Center for the Arts)
Tickets: Sliding scale $10 - $35 (No one turned away for lack of funds)
Tickets available 11/11 at: http://www.queerjoycollaborative.org/winterball
Northampton, MA – Get ready to dress up, dance, and celebrate the queer community at the Queer Joy Collaborative’s Winter Ball on December 21st at 33 Hawley Street in Northampton! This festive event is a chance to support the LGBTQ+ community through an evening filled with vibrant performances, dancing, and community connection.
The highlight of the night will be a special performance by the Queer Joy Chorus, bringing warmth and spirit to the winter season. Then, hit the dance floor with beats from local DJs, browse exclusive QJC merchandise, and explore our silent auction with unique items from local creators—all in support of the Queer Joy Collaborative’s work promoting joy, belonging, and creative expression in the queer community.
All ticket sales and auction proceeds will fund the Collaborative’s programs in music, art, and mutual aid. Tickets are on a sliding scale from $10 to $35, and everyone is welcome, regardless of ability to pay.
For tickets or more information, visit our website at www.queerjoycollaborative.org/winterball. Let’s come together for an unforgettable night celebrating queer joy and community—see you on the dance floor!
This event is part of the Uplifting Queer Voices series supported by the Parlor Room Collective. Uplifting Queer Voices in Music is a community program made possible by the Live Music Society’s Music In Action Grant, dedicated to empowering and amplifying voices of local 2SLGBTQIA+ musicians and industry professionals with an emphasis on QTBIPOC led affinity spaces.
For more information or press photos please contact Mara Levi at mara@queerjoycollaborative.org.

About The Queer Joy Collaborative:
The Queer Joy Collaborative is dedicated to promoting individual and collective queer joy primarily through the transformational and healing power of art, music, and mutual aid. Queer joy encompasses the spiritual, mental, and physical wellbeing of individuals and the community.
The Collaborative celebrates diversity and elevates queer voices, nurturing collective strength and solidarity.

About The Queer Joy Chorus:
The Queer Joy Chorus is a 60+ member group of people with identities that span the LGBTQIA+ community. There’s no audition requirement to get in - the only requirement is that you be a member or ally of the LGBTQIA+ community and that you find joy in singing.
We center music by Queer artists, we sing music with messages of hope and belonging, and we spend a lot of time laughing on stage and off. Our chief mission is to build community within the choir, and to connect with the community outside of our choir.
The chorus is conducted by Mara Levi, a teacher, performer, designer, and arranger who leads the group with a largely democratic style that centers consensus and community.
Our Executive Director and Musical Director:
Mara Levi has spent over 20 years building vibrant communities as a teacher, performer, and advocate for justice through democratic engagement. A skilled composer and arranger, Mara has been at the helm of the Queer Joy Chorus since its inception as the Pride Chorus in 2019, guiding its growth to a flourishing ensemble of over 70 members with diverse musical talents.
As the inaugural Executive Director of the Queer Joy Collaborative, Mara brings a rich blend of experience in program development and community building. With degrees in Music and Music Education—emphasizing Social Justice in the classroom—alongside a certificate in User Experience Design, Mara is uniquely equipped to lead the Collaborative's expansion. Their vision and expertise will help transform the organization from a chorus into a broad-reaching platform that champions Queer Joy through mutual aid, art, and deep community connections.

The Queer Joy Chorus grew out of NCMC Pride Chorus members who share a dream to bring more Queer Joy to Western Mass and beyond through partnerships, performances, and mutual aid. The Queer Joy Chorus exists as an example of NCMC’s accomplished incubation of important and timely community programming. In a material demonstration of our support for NCMC’s programming, the QJC will be donating a percentage of the proceeds from performance and merchandise sales to help support other NCMC programming this year in a show of both material and symbolic gratitude.