Hundreds of Santas are expected to sashay their way through the Gayborhood next month. Philly Pride Presents, along with Our Night Out, will host the first annual Sashaying of the Santas Dec. 21, a pub crawl where participants are encouraged to dress as the jolly old elf and other holiday characters. The “Santas” will start at ICandy, dubbed the South Pole, and will make their way through the Gayborhood throughout the night, ending at the North Pole, or what is expected to be Voyeur Nigthclub. Philly Pride Presents president Franny Price said she has always been a fan of the Running of the Santas bar-crawl event that happens annually in the city and wanted to create something similar for the LGBT community. She met with organizers of that event several years ago. “I became obsessed with doing it in the Gayborhood,” she said. “I figured, if the straight community can do this, why can’t we? Our community is creative.” Price said Philly Pride Presents found a company that would create inexpensive disposable Santa Claus suits for patrons to wear and that can be used to get drink specials at each bar. Price said suits will most likely be sold for $12 and can be purchased at Spruce Street Video and participating bars after the Thanksgiving holiday. So far, ICandy, Venture Inn, Tavern on Camac and Tabu will participate in the bar crawl. Price said partiers are encouraged to dress as Christmas characters, whether it is as Santa Claus or Mrs. Claus, an elf or a reindeer. She anticipates more than 100 people will participate and said the event will serve to raise funds for Our Night Out and Philly Pride Presents’ 2014 programming. “Because this is our first, if 100 show up, that is wonderful — if 300 or 400 show up, that would be fabulous. It will grow every year and be a fundraiser for our community.” Price said she has received only good feedback about the event and said it will be one to remember. “To see 100 of these Santas and elves and Mrs. Clauses leave ICandy all at one time and go up 12th Street will be so much fun to watch,” she said. “It is a fun, unique thing to do and provides a sense of unity because people are sashaying around the Gayborhood, which is our little safe haven, and they can go clubbing and feel safe.”
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