On Feb. 10, young people in their teens and early twenties filled some of the main gallery spaces of the National Museum of Mexican Art in Chicago’s Pilsen neighborhood. What drew the crowd of nearly 275 attendees was the return of the Yollocalli Arts Reach Anti-Valentine’s Day Party.
The annual event, intentionally held during or around National Condom Week, first took place in 2013 until a three-year hiatus due to COVID-19. It connects young people with free and reliable resources for mental and sexual health, healthy relationships, and LGBTQ+ care while also creating a space for them to gather and have fun with friends.
A flyer for the Anti-Valentine’s Day Party. Credit: Courtesy of Yollocalli Arts Reach 
The dancefloor is packed with people dancing as confetti floats down on them. Credit: Grace Del Vecchio / Rebellious Magazine 
Attendees gather in the gallery adjacent to the dancefloor to get resources and pose for photos. Credit: Grace Del Vecchio / Rebellious Magazine 
Art by Yollocalli students is displayed on the walls of the National Mexican Museum of Art. Credit: Grace Del Vecchio / Rebellious Magazine 
Jeremiah Guzman dances alone on the empty dancefloor at the start of the night. Credit: Grace Del Vecchio / Rebellious Magazine 
Yollocalli Intern Nayehli Alvarez takes a polaroid photo of attendees Yazmin and Trinity with friends. Credit: Grace Del Vecchio / Rebellious Magazine 
Yollocalli Programs Coordinator Jennifer Gonzalez takes a polaroid photo of attendees. Credit: Grace Del Vecchio / Rebellious Magazine 
Siblings and former and current Yollocalli students Mere and Gloria Valle and Caroline Hernandez show off their newly decorated polaroid photos. Credit: Grace Del Vecchio / Rebellious Magazine 
A small group of people gathers on the dancefloor while others look on. Credit: Grace Del Vecchio / Rebellious Magazine 
A few attendees make their way toward the dance floor through the lights and fog. Credit: Grace Del Vecchio / Rebellious Magazine 
Friends pose for a photo in the hallway outside of the gallery. Credit: Grace Del Vecchio / Rebellious Magazine 
Attendees group around tables to eat and talk. Credit: Grace Del Vecchio / Rebellious Magazine 
Melody Mendez (left) and Jacqueline Carrera (right) pose for a photo in the photo booth. Credit: Grace Del Vecchio / Rebellious Magazine
Resources ranged from stickers and bags to Narcan, Plan B and – as the flyer suggested – condoms, along with lots of food, dancing, arts, and polaroid photos.
In the latest podcast from Rebellious, organizers and attendees shared how they felt about the return of this iconic (and vital) event.
