Few events capture Los Angeles’ layered lifestyle better than Off Sunset Festival, which transformed Silver Lake’s streets late last month.
At first glance, it’s spectacle: leather harnesses, drag queens strutting with megaphones, DJs blasting under rainbow flags. But peel back the layers, and it’s community at work. Proceeds support local nonprofits tackling housing insecurity, LGBTQ+ youth programs, and healthcare services.
The past two weeks have been filled with stories from attendees who describe the festival not just as a party, but as reclamation. In a city where queer neighborhoods are threatened by rising rents and gentrification, Off Sunset stands as a defiant reminder: this culture is rooted, enduring, and essential.
Los Angeles lifestyles often get flattened into clichés of brunches and boutiques. Off Sunset shows another truth that joy can be radical, and community itself a form of luxury.
