The holidays are here and the party schedule is heating up every week, as you can see below. Pencil these events into your calendar now so you don’t miss out on any of the fun.
Santa Saturday
Santa Saturday returns once again on Nov. 26 to Shep Pettibone’s Club Paradise, 101 Asbury Ave., Asbury Park, N.J.
This amazing event, now in its 38th year, has raised hundreds of thousands of dollars for local LGBT and HIV/AIDS organizations over the decades. It combines a live auction, entertainment, service awards, photos with a hot Santa Bear, a leather shop, 50-50 raffle, food and drinks, all for just a $15 cover.
If you have Black Friday off, you can make a whole weekend out of it at Club Paradise. You can start with Winter Woof at 10 p.m. Nov. 25, featuring music by Jonny Mack and dancing go-go bears including Torez, plus drink specials all night long.
Then close it all out with SAVAGE, the Santa Saturday after-party, 9 p.m.-3 a.m. Nov. 26 at Club Paradise. The club is connected to The Empress Hotel, which has great rooms at affordable rates right upstairs from all the fun. Which is very convenient for disco naps and other time-out activities.
For more information, check out www.bucksmc.org and www.paradisenj.com.
Ladies 2000 Winter Holiday Kickoff
Another group that’s been around for years and is still going strong is Ladies 2000. Don’t miss their “Destination New Hope” Post-Thanksgiving Day Party, 3-9 p.m. Nov. 27 at Havana, 105 S. Main St., in New Hope. They’ll have $3 vodka specials until 4, a buffet and DJ Steve Singer. A $10 cover is all it takes to get this party started.
For more information, see www.ladies2000.com.
TOY 2011
Don’t miss TOY, the Delaware Valley Legacy Fund’s fifth-annual holiday fundraiser, from 7-10 p.m. Dec. 3 at the Marketplace Design Center, 2400 Market St. There will be heavy hors d’oeuvres, music and fun.
Admission is $40 per person plus one unwrapped toy for a youth aged 2-17 (no plush animals, please). All toys will be delivered to the kids in the pediatric HIV/AIDS unit at the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia.
For more information, check out www.dvlf.org.
Leather & Lace at Angela’s Laptop Lounge Looking for a hot transgender party in the suburbs? (More than you might think!) Spend your Saturday doing your holiday shopping at the mall, then drop in from 10 p.m.-2 a.m. Dec. 3 at Blue Pacific, 160 N. Gulph Road, Plaza at King of Prussia. Just remember to buy yourself something nice for the party!
A $12 cover gets you in the door. This is the long-running TG party hosted by Angela Gardner, a founding member and former executive director of Renaissance and the current editor of TGForum (www.tgforum.com). It started in 2005 upstairs at the old L2 on South Street, then moved a couple times before landing at its current home in the ’burbs. Dress sexy and to impress in your finest leather and lace, and feel free to change into your finery when you get there.
For more information, see www.tgatl2.tv.
Our Night Out
Don’t miss the winner of the Best Networking Event in PGN’s Best of Gay Philadelphia 2011 poll: Our Night Out, 6-8:30 p.m. Dec. 6 at XIX at Hyatt at the Bellevue, 200 S. Broad St.
Our Night Out is a casual social networking party for LGBT professionals, allied communities and friends and colleagues. This event marks the close of its 10th anniversary year. There’s no cover, but that doesn’t mean there won’t be hors d’oeuvres, drink specials and music.
This month’s holiday event is co-sponsored by XIX at the Bellevue and the Philly chapter of the National Lesbian and Gay Journalists Association. For more information and to join the mailing list, check them out on Facebook at www.facebook.com/OurNightOut.
Questions, comments or news about upcoming events? Contact Jim at [email protected].