Want to design this year’s Kaua‘i Pride Parade shirt? Artists have 4 weeks to enter contest

Artists on the Garden Isle have until March 31 to enter the Kaua‘i Pride Parade’s 2024 T-Shirt Design Contest.

The winner of the competition will receive $350 and see their work printed on countless T-shirts sold before and during the parade scheduled for June 1. All proceeds go toward the event’s budget.

Allison DeYenno, a volunteer member of the Kaua‘i Pride Committee, launched the design contest in 2023.

“We’ve got a lot of very creative people in the community,” DeYenno said. “I thought it’d be a really nice way to have people be a part of this.”

Last year’s winning artwork featured three surfers riding a rainbow wave. The piece was designed by Marley Stief, the founder and lead designer of Kaua‘i-based branding and design studio Siren Creative Co.

“The trio of surfers riding together is symbolic of the unity and support that we all share in this community,” Stief said in a written description of her winning T-shirt design. “It also tells a story of hope, love, and acceptance. It represents the joyful and welcoming spirit of Kaua’i Pride, where everyone can come together to be celebrated for who they are, as they are.”

T-shirt design submissions are judged independently by members of a panel, who are not given the names of participants to ensure impartiality. Their votes are then tabulated to determine a winner.

“It was so exciting. We had so many really wonderful submissions … People really put a lot of time and effort into creating things that you could tell were meaningful to them,” DeYenno said of last year’s contest. “It was really a fun process to see.”

Kaua‘i Pride organizers are still finalizing details regarding distribution and price of 2024 parade merchandise. In addition to T-shirts, branded tote bags, bracelets, caps and temporary tattoos may also be released this year. The bags and tattoos – if produced – will feature the 2024 T-shirt design as well, according to DeYenno.

This June will mark Kaua‘i Pride’s fifth-ever in-person parade. (The celebration was held online in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.)

“It gets bigger and better every year…This past year was just so much fun. There was so much to do and amazing entertainment. So there will be more of the same,” said DeYenno.

The Kaua‘i Pride Parade includes a festival packed with food trucks, retail vendors, entertainment and tables staffed by local community organizations.

“We’re always looking for additional volunteers for the festival itself … We’d love for people to get involved,” DeYenno said.

For more information about the Kaua‘i Pride Parade – including updates regarding T-shirt presales – visit the event’s Facebook page. You can also follow the parade on Instagram.

Visit kauaiprideparade.com for complete 2024 T-Shirt Design Contest details and rules. Those interested in volunteering at this year’s event can fill out an interest form here.