Worcester has always been a city defined by its people — different cultures, visions, and leaders building space for their communities. Two of the city’s most powerful events, though born from very different roots, both stand tall as proof of what happens when vision meets need: the Summer Jam Classic and Love Your Labels’ Queer AF art and fashion show.
As Major Bloom celebrates four years of staying open every single day, I’ve also been reflecting on what it means to support events outside of cannabis. These two organizations have taught me more than I expected about leadership, culture, and the way community really grows.
Here are four lessons I’ve learned from being part of these community powerhouses.
1. Leadership Doesn’t Always Look the Same
At first glance, these two events couldn’t be more different. The Summer Jam Classic, founded by Anthony Barbosa, has become Worcester’s premier basketball showcase. Last year alone, it drew over 4,000 attendees to Crompton Park, transforming a day of basketball into one of the city’s largest cultural gatherings. But Ant himself? He’s a quiet leader. If you showed up without context, you might not even realize he’s the one holding the whole thing together. He plays behind the scenes, letting the games, the players, and the community energy shine louder than his own voice.
On the other hand, Joshua Croke, president and founder of Love Your Labels, is bold, visible, and vocal. Known for their fearless fashion and unapologetic advocacy, Josh doesn’t just organize Queer AF — they MC the event, directing the crowd with energy, storytelling, and purpose. They’re not afraid to bring politics, queerness, and joy onto the runway all at once.
Two very different styles, both equally powerful. What I’ve learned: Leadership isn’t about volume. It’s about creating platforms where people feel seen.
2. It’s All About the Youth
No matter the stage — whether it’s a basketball court at Crompton Park or a runway under the lights — the focus is the same: youth development and safety.
For Summer Jam, it’s about mentorship and role models. Young players grow up competing in an environment where peace, pride, and skill matter more than violence or division. Basketball is the draw, but the life lessons are what last.
For Love Your Labels, the youth impact is even more explicit. Programs like Threads give LGBTQIA+ teens a chance to design fashion while exploring identity. Drag Story Time offers affirming, joyful experiences for queer kids and their families. And at Queer AF, youth see themselves represented on stage, in fashion, in community.
Both spaces remind me that if you invest in young people, the return is always greater than you imagine.
3. Culture is Expression, Whether it’s Fashion or Sports
3. Culture is Expression, Whether it’s Fashion or SportsFashion is expression. Basketball is, too.
Love Your Labels has built a nonprofit around style, proving that clothes can be resistance, affirmation, and art. Their annual Queer AF art and fashion show, dubbed the “Queer Met Gala of Massachusetts,” isn’t just a fashion event. It’s a declaration that queer bodies and queer beauty deserve the runway. In 2025, they sold more than 780 tickets and raised more than $16,000 during the fund-a-need portion of the show, reinvesting directly into youth programs and the Love Your Labels Sewing Studio & Creative Community Room.
Meanwhile, Summer Jam has leaned into streetwear. Every year, the tournament drops shorts, hats, and gear that kids wear proudly across the city until the next release. The event itself blends basketball, music, food, and art, turning Crompton Park into a living example of how culture comes alive when people come together.
Both events show that Worcester’s culture isn’t abstract. It’s wearable, playable, and deeply rooted in pride.
4. Hosting an Event is Its Own Business Model
As a cannabis business owner, my days revolve around operations: customers, compliance, product development, and community work. Hosting events is a whole different game.
Watching Ant and Josh has been eye-opening. Summer Jam has scaled from a few hundred people to over 4,000, supported by more than 50 local businesses and vendors. Its grassroots community-building turned into one of the city’s biggest annual traditions.
Love Your Labels, on the other hand, has perfected the art of fundraising through events. Queer AF isn’t just a fashion show — it’s a resource engine, raising critical funds while amplifying queer joy and safety.
Both events have pushed me to think about how Major Bloom might integrate events into our own model, not as profit centers, but as platforms to deepen culture, amplify voices, and bring people together.
Final Thoughts
Supporting the Summer Jam Classic and Love Your Labels has taught me this: Worcester’s strength lies in its differences. One event is loud, the other is quiet. One centers sports, the other centers fashion. Yet both put youth first, both build culture, and both create spaces where people feel proud to show up exactly as they are.
Community isn’t built on sameness. It’s built on vision, commitment, and the courage to act. And in Worcester, that’s exactly what these events deliver, year after year.