Pride flags flying atop Freddie’s Beach Bar in Arlington, Virginia – Photo: TJ Flavell.
Even though the bulk of the D.C.-area Pride celebrations has passed, the nearby suburbs of Alexandria and Arlington aren’t finished, with two events scheduled for Sunday, June 27 and Monday, June 28.
On Sunday, The Garden ALX, Alexandria Makers Market, and Safe Space NOVA will be hosting “Growing Pride at The Garden,” a family-friendly Pride event featuring 15 local LGBTQ “makers” offering various crafts, art, and other goods available for sale.
“I define a maker as anybody who has an original idea and makes it into a product,” says Alyssa Kovach, founder of Alexandria Makers Market. “I represent the people that are usually working from home. They don’t usually have a storefront, but it will be, to give an analogy, like a holiday market, a pop-up, and so they’ll have the things that they make. There is a huge range of products, from stained glass to jewelry to T-shirts to bags and more.”
In addition to serving as an open market to showcase the work of makers, the event will feature yoga activities, courtesy of YogaSix and abellaYoga; live music; kid-friendly crafting activities, led by Kids Create Alexandria; a rock-climbing experience, courtesy of Sport Rock climbing gym; and a bevy of food trucks offering various fare. Admission is technically free, but attendees are encouraged to donate at least $5, with proceeds going to benefit Safe Space NOVA, a Northern Virginia organization serving LGBTQ youth.
“We’re really hoping this is just like a really fun family event,” explains Kovach. “The Garden and I were the ones that kind of put out heads together and said, ‘Who do we want to have involved?’ And so our first step was contacting Safe Space NOVA. We wanted them involved, and thought they could give us some guidance in terms of like what would be really a fun and successful event. So we’re glad to have them on board, and we’ll be accepting donations and trying to kind of drum up some money for them.”
On Monday, June 28, marking the anniversary of the Stonewall Inn uprising, Go Gay DC will host a free-to-attend Pride Month social at Freddie’s Beach Bar in Arlington.
“This is an opportunity to mingle and to celebrate pride in a fabulous environment and basically a chance to connect with the community,” says Go Gay DC leader TJ Flavell, who is the chief organizer. “It’s come as you are, but you should definitely feel free to express yourself and feel free to come decked out in ‘Prideful’ attire.”
As with Go Gay DC’s regularly held happy hours at Freddie’s, which occur each month, organizers will be collecting cans of food or nonperishable food items for the Arlington Food Assistance Center, which is the county’s chief food bank, serving over 2,300 local families each week.
Those wishing to dine at Freddie’s following the social can reserve a table by calling the restaurant at (703) 685-0555, or can choose to purchase food at the bar. For a full menu, visit www.freddiesbeachbar.com/menu.
As people begin emerging from their homes as the COVID-19 pandemic subsides, Go Gay DC will begin resuming its monthly socials and happy hours, beginning with its “First Friday Social” at Commentary, in Arlington’s Ballston neighborhood, on July 2 from 7-9 p.m. There will also be a “First Tuesday Social” on July 6 from 7-9 p.m. at Hi-Tide Lounge in Alexandria.
“These ongoing social events bring a wide-range of fascinating people together for professional networking and friendship. As past president of three local community organizations, hosting these socials is a way to continue to make a positive impact for the social good,” says Flavell.
“Growing Pride at the Garden” is on Sunday, June 27, from 2-7 p.m. at The Garden ALX, 5380 Eisenhower Ave., Suite C, Alexandria, Virginia. Attendees are asked to pre-register. To register, or for more information, visit www.eventbrite.com.
Go Gay DC’s Pride Month Social, Stonewall Edition, is on Monday, June 28, from 6-9 p.m. at Freddie’s Beach Bar, 555 23rd St. S., Arlington, Virginia. Attendees are asked to register beforehand to get an accurate head count. For more information, visit the event’s Facebook page.
December 8 will be a big day for Cheyenne Jackson. That's when he'll take to the fabled stage at Carnegie Hall -- with his mother.
"This is a little scoop," he confides during a recent Zoom call. "My mom and my sister are going to join me on stage, and we're going to sing a trio. We haven't sung together in years. My mom, who's a retired widow living in Southern California, is going to get a gown on, get her hair done. It's going to be a family affair, and I'm so honored they're doing it. It's going to be so emotional."
The show, which Jackson says will feature "an incredible set list -- it's daunting, it's challenging," is deeply personal, reflecting "a lot of themes that come from my life."
San Francisco has named Per Sia, one of the first performers to read at a Drag Queen Story Hour event, as the city's new Drag Laureate.
Appointed by Mayor Daniel Lurie on October 29, the 44-year-old Per Sia is only the second person -- and the first transgender individual -- to hold the title.
D'Arcy Drollinger, owner of the Oasis nightclub, was San Francisco's first Drag Laureate. The position -- one of only two in the country, alongside West Hollywood's -- comes with a $35,000 annual stipend for a three-year term funded by the San Francisco Public Library, which also supports the city's Poet Laureate and Youth Poet Laureate programs.
You just can't keep a creative powerhouse down. Synetic may labor on without a dedicated performance space, but their Frankenstein; or, the Modern Prometheus simply soars. A beautifully-orchestrated feast for the senses, this is a classic Synetic-style spectacle of sound, movement and inventive story-telling.
Under the vision of director Paata Tsikurishvili Frankenstein has got it all: a striking and original score by composer Konstantine Lortkipanidze; rich and extraordinary projections and lighting from Zavier Augustus Lee Taylor and Brian Allard; physics-defying set pieces from Phil Charlwood; and an ensemble that brings everything they've got to the movement, mime, and heart-felt reimagining of this tale.
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