Nightlife Highlights: National Margarita Day, Red Bear’s Masquerade Drag Bingo, Monday Night Skating, and more!
Our picks of the best LGBTQ nightlife in the D.C. area this week!
MONDAY NIGHT SKATING: MARDI GRAS MASQUERADE
Billed as “the gayest skate a Monday night can have and the most fun on eight wheels,” MNSkating is a longstanding LGBTQ roller-skating tradition. Held the last Monday of every month, the evening includes couples/trios/group skating, limbo, conga line, and other fun games (“Ghostbusters Mayhem,” say). There’s also a charity-benefiting 50/50 Raffle and door prizes. This Monday, Feb. 24, from 7:30 to 10:30 p.m., comes a Mardi Gras-themed event one day before the actual holiday, allowing skaters to kick things off in a sober way, given that the host venue is a dry one. If you’re wondering what to wear, organizers suggest “a ball gown and mask, or more minimalist attire if you dare.” At the Laurel Roller Skating Center, 9890 Brewers Ct. in Laurel, Md. For more information, including pricing, call 301-725-8070 or visit www.MondayNightSkating.com.
MASQUERADE DRAG BINGO AT RED BEAR BREWING
On Fat Tuesday, Feb. 25, Red Bear Brewing head queen Desiree Dik invites everyone to don their “best masquerade costumes, beads or party gear” to win prizes for “best dressed” at the gay-owned nanobrewery in NoMa. The occasion is the venue’s usual rounds of bingo held every second and fourth Tuesdays as co-hosted by Dik along with Bombalicious Eklaver. The games, which are free to play and ASL interpreted, start at 7 p.m. and are interspersed with drag shows. Red Bear Brewing is at 209 M St. NE. Call 202-849-6130 or visit www.redbear.beer.
NATIONAL MARGARITA DAY
Every day is National Margarita Day for some of us, but officially, it comes just once a year. And this year, on Saturday, Feb. 22, you don’t have to stick to traditional tequila haunts around town to get your fill of the sweet and boozy concoction. All day long, starting at noon, Nellie’s Sports Bar offers wallet-friendly options, ranging from just $6 for a basic House Margarita, to $8 for an Avion-branded one, to $10 for a frozen blend. Best yet, you can mix and match and imbibe until you get your fill, are cut off, or until closing time at 3 a.m., whichever comes first. Nellie’s is at 900 U St. NW. Call 202-332-NELL or visit www.nelliessportsbar.com.
CRYFEST: THE CURE VS. THE SMITHS DANCE PARTY
After all that tequila on Saturday, Feb. 22, you might feel like crying if you’re still standing — and if you can still move before, say, 1 a.m., get yourself to the Black Cat for the 14th Street institution’s longest-running, mopiest DJ-driven battle-of-the-bands-themed events. The 18th Anniversary CryFest features DJs Steve EP, Missguided, and Killa K, all of whom will take turns spinning tunes with Robert Smith’s signature forlorn croons alternating with the whines of Morrissey. It’s promoted as “the largest Cure/Smiths dance party in the U.S.” Doors at 9:30 p.m. The Black Cat is at 1811 14th St. NW. Tickets are $15. Call 202-667-4490 or visit www.blackcatdc.com.
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