As the holidays close in with lightning speed, many will begin annual charitable work and assorted good deeds. This year, the LGBT community in Philadelphia has gotten a jumpstart on doing good, and I want to take a moment to thank everyone who participated in the Smile Happy Hour at Tavern on Camac, 243 S. Camac St., on Nov. 5 to benefit Metropolitan Area Neighborhood Nutrition Alliance’s Pie in the Sky fundraiser. With your help, Nightlifegay.com far surpassed its goal of selling 50 pies. Each pie sold provides six meals during the holidays for individuals in the Philadelphia region served by MANNA who are suffering from HIV/AIDS and other life-threatening illnesses.
Now, let’s get to this week’s featured events.
Nightlifegay.com will ring in the holiday season when the PINK Pub Crawl returns on Thanksgiving eve, Nov. 25. Beginning at 9 p.m., crawlers will assemble at Stir Lounge, 1705 Chancellor St., for the first stop. At 10:30, the PINK Pub Crawl will head to Q Lounge, 1234 Locust St. Revelers will celebrate at Q until 11:30, then move on to Woody’s, 202 S. 13th St. After an hour at Woody’s. At 12:30 a.m., the crawl will head across 13th Street for the evening’s final stop, at Voyeur Nightclub, 1221 St.
Tickets for the PINK Pub Crawl are $20 for those wearing one prominent pink piece of clothing, such as a shirt, pants, a jacket or even a boa. For those not in pink, tickets are $30 per person. A ticket is good for a free drink at each of the first three stops, free admission to a private entrance of Woody’s dance floor and free admission to Voyeur. All together, it’s a $45 value. Sponsors include P.I.N.K. Vodka (www.pinkspirits.com), 12th Street Gym (www.12thstreetgym.com) and www.GunnerWorld.com. For more information, visit www.nightlifegay.com.
While the PINK Pub Crawl benefits you pre-Thanksgiving, Blue Redo Reprise will help you blow off steam after the big day. Beginning at 8 p.m. Nov. 28, the Blue Redo Galz — Azure, Perriwinkle and Cobalt — will bring back one of the community’s most beloved events of the past 15 years at the Trocadero Theatre, 1003 Arch St. Formerly the Official Closing Party of Blue Ball Weekend, Blue Redo Reprise will feature New York City’s legendary DJ Susan Morabito and lights by Liz Ligouri. Cover for the event is $20 in advance and $25 at the door, with 100 percent of the proceeds benefiting Mazzoni Center and Sapphire Fund. Guests can purchase passes online at www.MazzoniCenter.org, or at PHAG (1225 Walnut St.) and Matthew Izzo (151 N. Third St.). For more information, visit www.MazzoniCenter.org.
After a few days of recovery following the big holiday weekend, make sure to stop by Tavern on Camac from 6-8 p.m. Dec. 3 as Wayne Bowman hosts his annual holiday toy drive to benefit the children served by the AIDS Coalition of South Jersey. In conjunction with Smile Happy Hour, this annual favorite features drink specials and other surprises. As with each Smile Happy Hour, there is no cover charge. Visit www.nightlifegay.com for more information.
For those in search of an edgier evening filled with live music, look no further than Q Lounge as Derek Nickerson and Luke Dow host the first-ever am:fm Rock Party on Nov. 30. This brand-new monthly party will feature live music from a local band and rock music by DJ RNG. On offer will be drink specials, CD giveaways and gift certificates. Follow the am:fm Rock Party on Twitter at www.twitter.com/amfmph.
That’s all for this installment. Check back in two weeks for my 2009 LGBT Holiday Event Guide. Send questions or comments to [email protected]. ’Til next time, get offline and see what your community has to offer!
