PROVINCETOWN — When presidential candidate Pete Buttigieg, aka “Mayor Pete,” comes to town hall Friday for a free public event in advance of his fundraiser, he’ll be joined by the 35 LGBTQ teens participating in this week’s Camp Lightbulb.

The young people, ages 14 to 18, will be seated on the stage for the town-hall-style event, and will get to pose some of their own questions to the candidate. This plan developed from a happenstance of timing: Camp Lightbulb had already booked town hall for its annual variety show and pledge drive, which happens at 7 p.m. on Friday, when Team Buttigieg came calling, hoping to hold a large public event in the space.

Camp Lightbulb agreed to give Mayor Pete the space from 4 to 6 p.m. and asked if the campers could have a chance to meet Buttigieg, who is the first openly LGBTQ candidate for president to be widely seen as viable. Mayor Pete’s team loved the idea.

This is the eighth season of Camp Lightbulb, which was conceived by founder Puck Markham as a way to share the inclusive spirit of Provincetown with LGBTQ youth. Markham first came to Provincetown 10 years ago and had what he calls a “lightbulb moment.” Amazing as this place was for an adult, he thought, what effect could it have on younger people still discovering their identity?

“Growing up can be tough,” said Markham. “Growing up LGBTQ is that much tougher. I wanted to create a special place that is a stepping stone in life for the younger members of my community, as they figure out who they truly are, surrounded by peers and role models, and a supportive and embracing community.”

The 35 campers and five counselors stay at an old U.S. Coast Guard station in Truro that has been converted into a youth hostel. They generally spend mornings together and come into town in the afternoon to explore Provincetown’s art, music, history and culture.

“We do bonfires on the beach, boating, painting on canvas — all the stuff that makes summer camp one of your favorite memories,” said Markham. “And just being in Provincetown communicates so much possibility to these kids, and being with each other — we have campers from all over the country, from every facet of the LGBTQ community, and from every income bracket, and they all learn so much from being together.”

Several repeat campers spoke in glowing terms about the experience on Monday. Lake Ly Williamson, 16, said, “The first day of camp there’s a lot of anxiety, but then you realize you’re seeing people coming together, minorities coming together who might be the only one in their school, the only one in their family, and pretty quickly it becomes like a family here. People are here to empower you, they’re here to accept you. Back home, every day of my life I feel like I have to prove that I even exist, that nonbinary gender is even a real thing. I have to convince people that I’m real. Coming here, people accept me right away — it’s like the biggest group hug ever.”

Caleb Pedreira, 15, said, “I go to public school in Carlisle, Mass. It’s pretty white, cis, hetero. I don’t get to experience being with other queer people except for Boston Pride once a year. Provincetown is like Pride all the time. I don’t have to worry about will I pass, how will people see me.”

Pedreira continued, “When you arrive here and they give you a nametag, they ask for your name and your pronouns. It’s the first time anyone has ever asked me, where I didn’t have to insist and someone just asked me.”

“When you first come here you don’t know anyone, and by the end of the week you’re friends with everyone,” said Day Kolz, 16. “It’s actually kind of hard because we live all over the country and we only get to see each other once a year. Mental health issues are really common in the LGBT community, and a lot of people here understand that — you can confide in them, you can talk about things and they understand, they get it.”

Camp Lightbulb runs for a week in July, and then hosts another 35 campers for a week in August. This year will see the first Family Camp over Labor Day weekend, with programming for both teenagers and their parents. This will also be the first year for a summer school day camp in both Los Angeles and New York City.

Markham is looking at adding more week-long camps in Provincetown, because demand for spots far exceeds supply. Camp Lightbulb does charge a fee, but admissions are need-blind and there are need-based scholarships for those who qualify.

Markham hopes many people will stay after Mayor Pete’s event to support the campers.

“The variety show is different every year, of course,” he said. “Sometimes you hear a voice like Adele’s, sometimes it’s runway looks or goofy skits. Zoe Lewis is the emcee this year, and Miss Richfield 1981 is appearing as well. It’s a $20 ticket, and we also do a pledge drive at the end where the audience can make larger donations. Altogether it’s our biggest fundraiser of the year, so we would love it if some of Mayor Pete’s supporters decide to stick around for our show at 7.”

Mayor Pete’s town hall event is free, but tickets are no longer available. Tickets to the Camp Lightbulb Variety Show are available at camplightbulb.org/events.