Grove 35: Legacy and Lessons from 35 Years of the National AIDS Memorial Grove
From the beginning, the National AIDS Memorial Grove has fostered community in a space of healing, strength, resilience, and belonging. It is proof that in each other we find hope.
The Grove 35 Campaign serves as both a celebration and a call to action, reaffirming the Grove’s purpose as a sanctuary of remembrance, healing, hope, and teaching. It is an affirmation to everyone that the Grove remains a place to gather, remember the lives cut short (many of whom had been erased or ignored because of stigma), and find inspiration to keep building a more just and healthy society.
Join Us on
Saturday, September 19, 2026
The National AIDS Memorial invites the community to remember the nearly 700,000 lives lost to AIDS during the past four decades and join us in the Grove on September 19 to commemorate the 35th anniversary of the Grove.
This public event, which runs from 10:00 am-1:30 pm, will include:
This public event, which runs from 10:00 am-1:30 pm, will include:
- An AIDS Memorial Quilt display
- A formal dedication program that includes the opening of the new Upper Oaks Trail Overlook Project
- Music, food trucks, and drinks
- Planting over 200 plants
- Art & special activities during our Community Celebration time
- Bring a blanket and make it a picnic
Stories from 35 Years of the National AIDS Memorial Grove
Our Grove 35 Campaign celebrates stories and remembers individuals who illuminate the Grove's legacy and lessons. This milestone commemoration occurs at a time when silence, fear, and stigma once again run rampant across our country. The legacy of the Grove and the lessons learned from the HIV/AIDS crisis provide hope for those silenced by fear and stigma.
Honoring Roots: Remembering those whose courage inspired ours
Planting Seeds: Stories from the cultivators of change in our community
Thank You to Our Friends at Gilead Sciences for Making This Celebration Possible
Help Us Continue to Share the Story of HIV/AIDS
Help the Grove continue to provide a space for healing, hope, remembrance, and education for another 35 years by donating to the National AIDS Memorial:
A Special Thanks to Dan Ashley
A long-time supporter of the Grove, Dan Ashley co-produced and performed this song, Anthem of Your Life, as a gift to the National AIDS Memorial in honor of the 35th Anniversary of the National AIDS Memorial Grove.
A longtime ally and supporter of the National AIDS Memorial Grove and the broader HIV/AIDS community, Dan Ashley brings his voice and heart to this moment, inviting all of us to reflect, to stand together, and to share the anthem of our own lives. The song celebrates the diversity of human experience and encourages each of us to live authentically, to lift one another up, and to find strength in community.
A longtime ally and supporter of the National AIDS Memorial Grove and the broader HIV/AIDS community, Dan Ashley brings his voice and heart to this moment, inviting all of us to reflect, to stand together, and to share the anthem of our own lives. The song celebrates the diversity of human experience and encourages each of us to live authentically, to lift one another up, and to find strength in community.
