Being with other LGBTQ+ families can be an invaluable experience for both LGBTQ+ parents and our kids. That’s why GWK Academy is hosting The Big Apple Family Takeover, October 10-11, 2026, a joyful weekend in New York City for LGBTQ+ families to connect, play, and be fully themselves.
The Big Apple Family Takeover will be two days of fun, kid-friendly events paired with relaxed gatherings for parents to connect, laugh, and bask in the authenticity of real community. GWK Academy has organized a number of previous in-person events for LGBTQ+ families, and the Big Apple Family Takeover looks set to bring the same combination of fun and connection. (It should be a good time to be in New York City, too, since the summer heat and summer crowds will have subsided.)
The weekend also helps fund GWK Academy’s work to expand access to family building, so that LGBTQ+ people starting or growing their families can navigate their options and move forward with confidence. I had the pleasure of interviewing GWK Academy Executive Director and Head Coach Brian Rosenberg a few years ago, when he spoke not only about his own family-building experience, but also about his vision for helping people of all LGBTQ+ identities start their families. GWK Academy then became a non-profit in 2025 to do just that, offering information, mentoring, resources, and more.
See the itinerary for the Big Apple Family Takeover and register by June 30 to save with early-bird rates. (I receive nothing from these registrations; I’m sharing the information simply because I believe in the work that GWK Academy is doing.)