Press Release

HAVE A GAY OLD TIME IN PHILADELPHIA
Dance, Drag And Pride Make Philly’s Gay Scene Sizzle All Year Long

PHILADELPHIA, February 1, 2008 - Gay travelers to Philadelphia eager to get their “history straight” and “nightlife gay” will find an eclectic mix of fun and fabulous happenings throughout the year. Dance parties, drag shows, pride parades and cultural events are among the offerings for gay travelers in 2008.

Blue Ball

Photo by J. Mattera for GPTMC

 

• Out magazine included Woody’s Bar in its September 2007 list of “The 50 Greatest Gay Bars in the World.” Gay Country Western Two-Stepping every Sunday night is just one of the reasons why. 202 S. 13^th Street, (215) 545-1893, www.woodysbar.com
• Dirty minds think alike at Kinky Quizzo every Tuesday night at Valanni, where patrons indulge in the restaurant’s Mediterranean-infused menu and winners take home gift certificates. 1229 Spruce Street, (215) 790-9494, www.valanni.com
• Kings and queens keep the crowds entertained at Bob and Barbara’s Thursday night drag show. The party gets even more fun as patrons enjoy the “Philadelphia Special,” a can of Pabst Blue Ribbon and a shot of Jim Beam. 1509 South Street, (215) 545-4511
• The galleries stay open late at the Philadelphia Museum of Art on Friday nights for Art After 5, an evening of music, light cuisine and cocktails in the Great Stair Hall. 26^th Street & the Benjamin Franklin Parkway, (215) 763-8100, www.philamuseum.org
• Men flock to Shaft Fridays at Shampoo for dance parties, renowned DJs and $3 drinks until 11:00 p.m. Downstairs at Aye Papi!, resident DJ Maria V. spins salsa beats in the Latin lounge. Willow Street between 7^th & 8^th Streets, (215) 922-7500, www.shampooonline.com
• Every First Friday of the month, art galleries throughout Old City open their doors to show off new exhibitions and treat patrons to light refreshments. Check out works by famous and emerging artists in dozens of galleries before noshing at one of the neighborhood’s top-rated restaurants and outdoor cafes. (215) 625-9200, www.oldcityarts.org
• Gamble on a good cause at the AIDS Fund’s Gay Bingo, a monthly Philadelphia tradition hosted by comically charged drag queens at the Gershwin Y. 1227 Locust Street, (215) 731-9255, www.aidswalkphilly.com

• Colours, Inc. sponsors Philadelphia Black Gay Pride, a four-day event with educational panels, networking events and parties for men and women that promote unity among gay and lesbian African-Americans. April 24-27, 2008. www.phillyblackpride.org
• The week-long Equality Forum celebrates international gay culture and politics with parties and educational events made possible by more than 75 regional, national and international organizations. The festivities culminate with a street fair and live concert in Old City. April 28-May 4, 2008. (800) 990-3378, www.equalityforum.com
• Blue Ball, Philadelphia’s international circuit party, takes place during Equality Forum, and includes three nights of parties for women and men. Proceeds benefit local non-profit organizations. May 2-4, 2008. www.blueballphilly.com
• In New Hope, an artistic and gay mecca in nearby Bucks County, Somewhere Over the Rainbow brings together gays and lesbians in a bucolic setting to celebrate pride with well-known LGBT entertainers. May 16-18, 2008. www.newhopecelebrates.com
• Philadelphia recognizes all shades of gay pride at the annual LGBT Pride Parade and Festival, featuring celebrity entertainment, plenty of food options and vendors of all sorts in an outdoor setting. June 8, 2008. (215) 875-9288, www.phillypride.org
• The Philadelphia Gay and Lesbian Theatre Festival gives new and emerging artists a chance to explore the LGBT experience at theaters throughout the city. June 12-28, 2008. (215) 627-6483, www.philagaylesbiantheatrefest.org
• The 14^th annual Philadelphia International Gay & Lesbian Film Festival celebrates all genres of film that pertain to or were created by members of the gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender communities. July 10-21, 2008. (267) 765-9700, www.phillyfests.org
• Gay and lesbian tennis players face off in Bucks County each year for the New Hope Open, sponsored by the Gay and Lesbian Tennis Association. August 2008. www.glta.net
• The Philadelphia Phillies welcome more than 1,500 gay and lesbian fans to Citizens Bank Park for Gay Community Day. August 2008. One Citizens Bank Way, (215) 463-6000, www.phillygaydays.com
• Every autumn, Philadelphia’s Gayborhood celebrates OutFest with a block party featuring special events for adults and families alike. October 12, 2008. (215) 875-9288, www.phillypride.org

• The Kimmel Center presents Avenue Q, Broadway’s Tony Award-winning musical starring humorously subversive puppets. January 29-February 10, 2008. 260 S. Broad Street, (215) 893-1999, www.kimmelcenter.org
• Each year, dancers with the Pennsylvania Ballet produce Shut Up & Dance, a one-night-only benefit performance for local non-profit MANNA at the Forrest Theatre. February 23, 2008. 1114 Walnut Street, (215) 496-2662, www.mannapa.org
• The Philadelphia Gay Men’s Chorus pays homage to fierce females in DIVAlicious: The Women We Love at the Lutheran Church of the Holy Communion. March 7, 2008. 2110 Chestnut Street, (215) 731-9230, www.pgmc.org
• The inaugural Liberty Stampede Rodeo includes dances at the Loews Philadelphia Hotel and traditional rodeo happenings like bull riding, bronc riding and barrel racing at the Devon Horse Show Grounds. May 9-11, 2008. (888) 321-3603, www.libertygra.org
• The spirit of the people, the renewed vibrancy of the city and the deep spirit of patriotism serve as a perfect backdrop for the selection of the U.S. gymnastics team during the U.S. Olympic Team Trials at the Wachovia Center. June 19-22, 2008. www.comcast-spectacor.com
• During its inaugural year, the Philadelphia Theatre Company’s Suzanne Roberts Theatre hosts Night Out!, special pre-show receptions exclusively for LGBT theater goers, complete with cocktails and light fare. Broad & Lombard Streets, (215) 985-0420, www.philadelphiatheatrecompany.org

• Get a closer look at the late bisexual artist Frida Kahlo’s passionate self portraits and still life paintings at the Philadelphia Museum of Art. February 20-May 18, 2008. 26^th & the Benjamin Franklin Parkway, (215) 763-8100, www.philamuseum.org
• The Pennsylvania Convention Center is the site of the Philadelphia Flower Show, the region’s annual gardening celebration, featuring top-of-the-line horticulture and landscape design, entertainment and more than 150 vendors. The theme for 2008 is “Jazz It Up.” March 2-9, 2008. (215) 988-8800, www.theflowershow.com
• During the Philadelphia Live Arts Festival & Philly Fringe, avant-garde performance meets street theater for two weeks of artistic pleasure throughout the city. August 29-September 13, 2008. (215) 413-9006, www.livearts-fringe.org
• Each year, the 12-kilometer AIDS Walk begins and ends at the steps of the Philadelphia Museum of Art. After 21 years, the event still raises money and awareness for the fight against the disease. October 2008. (215) 731-9255, www.aidswalkphilly.org

Note to Editors: For photos of Greater Philadelphia, visit our Photo Gallery.

CONTACT:

Jeff Guaracino, GPTMC
(215) 599-2290, jeff@gptmc.com

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