Light in the Grove is a breathtaking community experience that is frequently recognized as the Bay Area’s best LGBTQ+ fundraising event. This powerful celebration dazzles attendees with its magical lighting, enchanting dance performances, and moving musical compositions.
Equally as captivating as its incredible features is the man behind Light in the Grove’s performances. Thomas Kurtz has brought his artistic vision to the Grove since 2023, cultivating an enchanting atmosphere of community for this event that supports the essential mission and programs of the National AIDS Memorial.
We asked Thomas a few questions about what makes Light in the Grove so special to him:
1. Why did you first want to get involved with Light in the Grove?
In May 2023, I was finishing my doctorate in music at the University of Texas at Austin, where part of my research focused on music-making during the AIDS crisis. Through that work, I came to know the San Francisco community deeply, but always from a distance. I felt a pull to be here, to experience the city’s history and spirit of care firsthand. So that summer, without much of a concrete plan, I moved to San Francisco simply because something about this place—particularly its sense of community, creativity, and inclusivity called to me.
When John, Sara, and Jen invited me to work with the National AIDS Memorial for this event, it felt like everything aligned. It gave me the chance to do what truly fills my cup: to combine performance, leadership skills, research, and community-engaged work in a space that honors queer history while creating new connections through music.
2. When you’re planning your performances, what do you hope to capture?
When I’m planning performances, I really think about my audiences — how to highlight stories across identities and generations, and how to reflect the kind of social justice work that the National AIDS Memorial represents. I want the music to feel both personal and collective, honoring the past while creating something alive and relevant in the present.
This year’s Light in the Grove performance is my most immense undertaking yet... I’m collaborating with my students in my Music & Queer Community course at the University of San Francisco, with my students at the San Francisco Conservatory of Music, and with the intergenerational dance company, Dance Generators. Together, we’re bringing to life several works by composers whose music is inspired by HIV/AIDS or queer identity, weaving their voices into a shared performance.
You’ll also notice something new in the tent this year: a monitor featuring a “Queer Sound Map” of San Francisco. It’s inspired by my students’ work with members of OpenHouse, an LGBTQ senior center here in San Francisco. The Sound Map documents how queer history and community are experienced through sound, from oral histories and field recordings to music and soundscapes that hold memory. It’s another way of listening to our shared story, and I’m so excited to bring that layer into the experience this year.
3. Are there any memories from Light in the Grove that stick out to you?
Last year, around 7:00 pm, right after we finished our music and dance set in the Grove, I looked over and saw all the dancers and musicians gathered in this spontaneous, minute-long group hug… literally everyone holding each other for a solid minute. It was such a simple, genuine moment, but it captured everything Light in the Grove stands for.
Watching that, I was moved to tears. It felt like the meaning of the Grove was alive right there, and that shared embrace reminded me why we do this work: to connect, to heal, and to celebrate the fact that we’re here, together, carrying these stories forward.
4. What would you say to someone who had never heard of Light in the Grove and is now considering attending?
Light in the Grove is unlike any other event. Even if you’ve never been part of the AIDS Memorial community, you’ll feel welcome; it’s a space that invites you to reflect, connect, and simply be present. I would tell anyone considering it: come with an open heart. You’ll leave feeling grounded in history, inspired by beauty, and reminded of how powerful it is when a community chooses to remember through love.
Join Us at Light in the Grove
Thank you, Thomas, for your support of our vision for the future: that never again will a community be harmed because of fear, silence, discrimination, or stigma.
For three decades, we’ve worked to advance our mission through our essential programs. We bring communities together through our Grove Community Volunteer Workdays, Quilt community displays, youth activist scholarships, AIDS storytelling programs, and inspiring events.
Join us at Light in the Grove on the eve of World AIDS Day, Sunday, 11/30! Sign up to host Light in the Grove or secure your tickets to help support these programs in the decades to come:
