Former Sisters staffers launch new party at OutFest

Former Sisters employees are gearing up to bring a new party to OutFest this weekend to celebrate the legacy of the now-defunct lesbian bar — and to create a new women-focused space. LickR: Girl Party will premier from 3-10 p.m. Oct. 13 at Tabu Lounge & Sports Bar, 200 S. 12th St. LickR was created by Natalie Nuzzi, a bartender at Sisters for 17 years, and former Sisters chef and current Giorgio on Pine executive chef Crystal Fox. Fox said Sisters’ shuttering in August left a large gap for women in the community. “The closing of Sisters really got Natalie and I talking about hosting an event. We felt the void after Sisters closed their doors,” she said. “If Sisters was like a second home to us, there had to be others like us out there. We wanted to create an event for those people and people looking to have a great time.” Fox and Nuzzi serve as co-creators and recently added another former Sisters bartender, Jenna Kane, to the mix. Fox said she is managing most of the media and public relations for the event, while Nuzzi has been doing more behind-the-scenes planning and networking. Kane was brought on for her event-planning experience. “We are all very different but somehow all of our expertises blend well and it works, can’t ask for more than that,” Fox said. Fox said it is still unclear if LickR will become a monthly women’s party but did say organizers have already scheduled the parties for the next three months — Nov. 30 at Tabu, Dec. 28 at Finn McCools and back to Tabu on Jan. 28. Fox said Tabu was picked as the debut location because it is central to the Gayborhood and provided a fun, comfortable vibe with great staff on hand. The event will feature former Sisters personality DJ Trish, as well as DJ Chris Urban. The party will also include Sisters Sirens Timaree and Shy. There will be a cover charge of $8 for the event. Fox said Tabu will supply bartenders, barbacks and drink specials but said the LickR team brought everything else to the table. “We are paying for all our DJs out of pocket. We have two previous Sisters Sirens dancers we hired for the event and we brought on two previous Sisters door personnel to make sure things go smoothly and traffic flow is comfortable,” she said. “It’s about creating the total experience for our guests and to create a space that allows people to have fun.” Drink specials will be abundant at LickR with $4 Miller Lites and Lager 16-ounce drinks, $10 32-ounce Malibu buckets and, from 4-7 p.m., the Malibu girls will hand out free shots. For more information on the party, visit www.facebook.com/lickrgirlparty.