Family Week: FAQs

Family Week in Provincetown, Massachusetts, is the largest annual gathering of LGBTQ+ parents and their children in the world occurring from July 25 – August 1, 2026.

For three decades, hundreds of families have come together from over thirty states and from around the world. Family Equality and COLAGE work in partnership to organize a full week of workshops, family fun, new experiences, and community-building. Family Equality organizes different events during the week for parents and whole families, and COLAGE offers engaging and empowering youth programs for ages seven and up.

Re-live some of the magic of Family Week 2025 by checking out Family Week 2025 at a glance!

Family Week is an event co-hosted by two organizations: Family Equality and COLAGE. Our programming for the week is entirely separate — to enjoy both festivities, you need to register for COLAGE and Family Equality’s events.

As the leading national nonprofit for current and future LGBTQ+ families, Family Equality exists to create a world where everyone can experience the unconditional love, safety, and belonging of family. We ensure that everyone has the freedom to find, form, and sustain their families by advancing equality for the LGBTQ+ community.

COLAGE remains by and for people with LGBTQ+ parents and caregivers. COLAGE unites the six million youth and adults with LGBTQ+ parents and caregivers across the U.S. into a network of peers, supporting them as they nurture and empower each other to be skilled, self-confident, and just leaders.

Yes! Family Week offers two separate sets of programs hosted by two separate nonprofits, Family Equality and COLAGE.

Register with Family Equality to gain access to the Family Equality-hosted events throughout the week. This general registration gets you into events for the whole family – from the daily morning Littles’ Gathering to Beach Bash and the Family Pride Parade. See the full schedule here.

Register with COLAGE for drop-off events for youth 5-18 years old. All COLAGE programs are led for and by people with LGBTQIA+ parents. See their full schedule here.

Yes! Every family must check in with Family Equality at Registration/Check-In, even those that pre-register online. At Registration, you will receive notice about schedule updates, a welcome bag full of goodies, and your family’s wristbands.

Wristbands are required for official Family Equality Family Week programming. 

Family Equality does not provide child care.

We are doing everything we can to make Family Week inclusive in celebration of our different perspectives, lives, experiences, and accessibility needs!

• If you or someone in your family would like to request ASL interpretation or have any of access needs, indicate that in the registration form or email Family Equality’s Family Week Team.
• Many venues which we use are wheelchair accessible. Venues lacking or limited in wheelchair access include: Bas Relief Park, Motta Field, Schooner Hindu Sailing, whale watching trips, and the Post Office Cafe and Cabaret. In Ptown, there are few to no elevators in many buildings that are multiple stories and there are usually steps to enter buildings. Further, most venues have little-to-no parking and the sidewalks can be narrow, crowded, or uneven. There are three accessible beaches in Provincetown: Herring Cove Beach offers accessible beach mats and wheelchairs that travel over sand.  Both Race Point Beach and Ryder Street West Beach have accessible beach mats.
• We have chairs at all or our events for both youth and parents to be able to sit down and Family Equality staff are always willing to work with participants in any way to make more spaces accessible for our participants.
• Family Equality has gathered measurements, images, and pictures from in-person trips to gather access information for anyone who may want to know more about the spaces and if their access requests can be met at Family Week or specific events. Prior to July 18th, you can email Family Equality with any questions or concerns about accessibility. From July 19th and after, we recommend reaching out directly to the venue you have questions about.
• The Town has designated its public restrooms as All Gender Restrooms to ensure that everyone — regardless of gender identity — has safe and equal access to public restrooms. This means that everyone has the right to use the restroom that best aligns with their gender identity. View Provincetown’s Public Restrooms site for more information.
• During Family Week if you have questions, concerns, or need assistance regarding access, contact Family Equality staff.

You can also review Provincetown’s Accessibility site for more information.

Accessible Provincetown is a great resource for accessibility information in Provincetown. They have a Welcome Center at 307 Commercial Street where there are wheelchairs and canes that can be borrowed. Find them on their website, Facebook, or call 508-487-7198.

Our goal is to plan this event with disability justice top of mind. Don’t hesitate to contact us if we are failing to reach this goal. If you have any questions about how we can best support you and your family, email us.

We all play a part in making this event special.

Respect accommodations 

• Remember that not all disabilities are visible. Everyone has a right to use the accommodations that they need without being criticized or questioned.

• Do not pet, offer food to, or interact with service animals such as guide dogs in any way, including questioning their use or purpose.

• When speaking to someone using an interpreter (such as an ASL interpreter), address the person you are speaking with, not the interpreter. If an interpreter is not present, you can use pen and paper or a cell phone to communicate through text to ask the person their preferred method of communication and use it.

• Help us maintain clear walkways in all event spaces and avoid sitting on the floor near exits.

Use caution when using flash photography

• Use caution with flash photography, as it can trigger seizures or other medical and emotional symptoms.

• Ask people of all ages for permission before taking their picture or including them in your video. “Photo-Shy” badges are also available at registration and the storefront near Town Hall for any attendee.

Be scent/fragrance free

• Be scent/fragrance/smoke free to the extent which you can. Many people have chemical sensitivities to common chemicals and fragrances. Scented products can be important parts of one’s identity but removing fragrances is important to ensuring accessibility.

• Find more information on being fragrance free in this article from Leah Lakshmi Piepzna-Samarasinha’s blog: “Fragrance Free Femme of Colour Genius Draft 1.5”

Be aware of ableist langauge

• Refrain from using words that contribute to systems of ableism which have historically been used to harass and oppress people with disabilities. Some people prefer person first language (person with a disability), while others prefer identity first language (disabled person), and others prefer other options. If you are not sure what words to use, ask.  For more information on the history of ableist language check out this article by Lydia X. Z. Brown.

Keep everyone healthy

• COVID vaccinations and boosters are strongly encouraged for Family Week attendees.
• If you or someone in your party is feeling unwell, including any or all symptoms such as a fever* (temperature of 100 degrees Fahrenheit), body aches, headache, cough and congestion, vomiting, and diarrhea within the past ten days, please stay home and email us to let us know you can’t attend.
• Wash your hands frequently.