It’s freezing out there, but the 2013 party season is just heating up. We’ve pored through our listings and found some of the most fab beach parties, ski weekends and circuit parties. Let’s live it up in 2013!
Whistler WinterPRIDE (February 3-10)
Looking for a new Valentine? There is plenty of eye candy at Whistler WinterPRIDE! There will be an official pink takeover as gays from around the world ascend up the mountain for a gay old time. Make eyes with a handsome Canuck while snowboarding on Blackcomb Mountain and check out his boots and spurs at the Tuesday night Cowboy & Cowgirl Party.
Take in the sprawling views of Cougar, Whistler, and Rainbow Mountains and the Soo Valley before heading to see RuPaul’s Drag Race All-Star winner Chad Michaels at the Mr. Gay Canada Competition at the Whistler Conference Center. The ladies will purr front and center on Friday night at Purrlesque, a night of erotic dance at the foot of Whistler Mountain. Lola Frost & April O’Peel will make sure all the ladies feel the heat and stay out late. Everyone will get together after a week or snowy fun with DJ Nick Bertossi at GayWhistler’s SnowBall 21.
Check out our GayCities Guide to Whistler.
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Rio Carnival (Feb 8-13)
If you’re sick of snow angels and hot cocoa, head south for boys, beads, crazy costumes, and wild parties. Join the boys from Ipanema in Rio de Janeiro for Rio Carnival, a four-day celebration forty days before Easter. Get into the headlining action by taking in the four different Sambodromo parades, get ready to show off at Thursday night’s Gay Ball in Rio Scala, and be sure to check out the colorful drag-queens at the neighborhood Banda of Ipanema parade, founded in 1964. Have a caipirinha and get ready to samba with hot Brazilian guys.
Check out our GayCities Guide to Rio
The Black Party NYC (March 22-24)
The Saint At Large pulls back the leather curtain to host the father of all circuit parties, The Black Party, every March at Roseland Ballroom in New York City. The 30+ year event draws over 4,000 attendees to the weeklong series of fashion shows, product demos, musical performances, slideshows, and sexually-charged events at BPX: The Black Party Expo. Rentboy.com in association with BPX present The Hookies: The 7th Annual International Escort Awards celebrating the best in the male escort industry on Friday, March 22. The main event kicks off at 10pm on Saturday, March 23 featuring international DJs like Hector Romero and Satoshi Tomile, world-class performances, and the legendary “strange live acts”.
Check out our GayCities Guide to New York City.
White Party Palm Springs (March 29-April 1)
Legendary producer Jeffrey Sanker is throwing this year’s White Party Palm Springs, Xtreme over Easter Weekend featuring beats by DJs Danny Verde, Peter Rauhofer, Ryan Kenney, and Andy Almighty (7th Heaven). Friday’s Splash Pool and Bulge Underwear Parties are the perfect opening to a exciting weekend. Be sure to pick up a few Andrew Christian options for the week and WHITE, of course, for the main event when men fill the Palm Springs Convention Center. You’ll still feel like dancing the next day when you hear DJs Manny Lehman and Wayne G. spinning at Sunday T-Dance, the largest outdoor high-energy dance party in the world. Later, DJ/Producers Tony Moran and Rosabel will team up for Supersized, the official Closing Party.
Check out our GayCities Guide to Palm Springs.
Matinee Las Vegas (May 25-May 28)
The popular Matinee party will conquer Sin City over Memorial Day Weekend again this year. The popular dance party that’s erupted in dancing, spectacles, and mayhem in New York, Miami, and Ibiza is planning one of the biggest parties of the year. Jake Resnicow, Patrick Crough, & Paul Nicholls are busy preparing seven amazing parties featuring DJs like Hector Fonseca, Joe Gauthreaux, Theresa, and Nina Flowers over the weekend, so be sure to hit the gym, pick out wet and wild outfits, and book your weekend passes. This year’s exclusive Matinee host hotel is the boutique Rumor. Vegas bars and clubs are always alive and kicking, but be sure to pay a visit to our friends at Krave and Piranha Nightclubs.
Check out our GayCities Guide to Las Vegas.
Gay Days Orlando (May 29-June 4)
Disneyworld is definitely not a small world during Gay Days Orlando! The Doubletree by Hilton Orlando at SeaWorld is hosting the whole “family” under one roof (and hosting 25 pool parties) during this year’s weekend. Nearby, the 15th Gay Days Expo will serve as the home base for arrivals, new attendees, and vendors. Gay Days began in 1991 as a designated day when the LGBT community and friends were encouraged to “Wear Red and Be Seen” while visiting the theme park. Today, Gay Days attracts over 150,000 revelers fro all over the world.
Check out our GayCities Guide to Orlando.
Madrid Pride (July 3-July 7)
Everyone in Madrid gets into the spirit of Pride during MADO, a series of street celebrations that take over town during Pride Week. Over 2 million people flock to Cheuca, the gay neighborhood to join in the street parade, bar hop, and dance to amazing live performances. Pop divas like Kylie Minogue, Buika, and local favorites grace six different stages in a variety of outdoor concerts and live acts. With over five-hundred local LGBT businesses, it’s not difficult to celebrate pride in Madrid. During this year’s pride, Plaza del Rey will host this year’s MuestraT Festival, a festival for young musical talent, together with Flamenco Pride night on the 5th. Make sure you’re there when Mr. Gay Spain is crowned, and head to the Plaza de Espana for Soraya and Marta Sanchez makes everyone get up and dance on the 6th. Whip out your calendar and a sharpee and make sure you don’t miss the party this year. You never know who’s going to show up!
Check out our GayCities Guide to Madrid.
Independence Provincetown (July 1-July 7)
Provincetown, the winner of our 2012 Gay Cities Award for Best Beach Town, is the place to be for this year’s Independence Day. The Crown and Anchor hosts the annual circuit party, featuring DJs Danny Verde, Roland Belmares, Joe Gauthreaux, Alyson Calagna, Tony Moran, and more. Hostess Dallas Dubois will greet and entertain boys throughout the week. Book a room (or a house with friends) early in the week so you can take a little vacation time, check out the nude beach, hit Wednesday’s infamous FagBash party, hit the A-House for the daily Tea dance, and indulge in hot parties all over town. Have a long vacation coming up? Don’t bother to shave, and extend your stay in Provincetown Bear Week, arguably the hottest week in town.
Check out our GayCities Guide to Provincetown.
LA Pride (June 8-June 10)
It’s no surprise why over 400,000 people flock to West Hollywood for LA Pride every summer. The Christopher Street West Association has been producing LA Pride since the 70s. Recent Grand Marshalls have included Molly Ringwald, Johnny Weir, and Chelsea Handler with headlining performances by Li’l Kim, Belinda Carlisle, Kelly Rowland, and Kelis. Book a room right in the middle of the action at the Hotel Chamberlain and get ready to live it up at The Abbey, Micky’s, Rage, and up and down Santa Monica with WeHo boys and hotties from all over the map.
Check out our GayCities Guide to Los Angeles.
Fire Island Pines Party July 29
We don’t mind if you prefer to stay in the Pines or Cherry Grove, but you’ll want to kick it over to the Pines Beach on July 29th for the annual Fire Island Pines Party. Over the years, Pines Party has mixed revelry, fantasy, and fundraising at an annual night-long celebration of dancing and entertainment, drawing DJs like Horse Meat Disco, Lina Bradford, Pagano, Abel, and Tracy Young. This year marks the fifteenth year of the party, which benefits the Charitable Foundation and numerous other LGBT community charities. Spend the whole weekend out on the island and you’ll surely get into trouble at any number of pool parties, tea dances, bars, and events in the Pines as well as the Grove.
Check out our GayCities Guide to Fire Island.
Stockholm Pride (July 29-August 4)
We had such a blast at Stockholm Pride this past year that we’re not going to miss it this summer. Nearly half-a-million people fill the streets for the annual parade before letting loose at Pride Park. There are plenty of events to keep you busy in town: a weekly lineup at Pride Park, nightly events at the popular Kolingsborg nightclub and Torget, the Mr. Gay Sweden competition, and a hot Viking party that DJ Vinny Vero often flies in for. Who knows? Robyn might show up this year…or True Blood hottie Alexander Skarsgard. Last year commediene Margaret Cho came early to rile up the crowd. Hilton Stockholm Slussen is the official hotel of Pride, with plenty of discounts and offers if you book in advance.
Check out our GayCities Guide to Stockholm.
Burning Man August 26-September 2
If you’ve never been to Burning Man this needs to be your year. Order your tickets now and book a flight to Reno well enough in advance. Nearly fifty-thousand exotic and vibrant people flock to Nevada’s Black Rock Desert each year to build Black Rock City, dedicated to community, art, self-expression, and self-reliance. The parties are wild, out of control, and relationships built life changing. Participants build and celebrate art and humanity through theme camps. At the end of the week, Black Rock City burns the enormous Burning Man and pack up without leaving any evidence.
Check out our GayCities Guide to Reno.
Southern Decadence Aug 29-September 3
Skip Mardi Gras, Southern Decadence is the hottest party in New Orleans. Southern Decadence was first held in 1972 when a group of friends threw a “Southern Decadence Party: Come As Your Favorite Southern Decadent”, with impersonations all over the table. Each year has a different theme, ranging from “Voodoo That You Do, Menage a Trois, and HURRICANE: This Year, They Blow Back.” The 42nd Official Southern Decadence will take place over Labor Day Weekend this year, and there is plenty to share! Book a room close to the French Quarter as the gays storm Bourbon Street and take no mercy. The main event will kick off in the French Quarter at 2pm on Sunday, September 1. Stay tuned for this year’s theme.
Check out our GayCities Guide to New Orleans.
Folsom Street Fair San Francisco September 29
Daddies, Pigs, and Leather Queens to the Bay! This year’s Folsom Street Fair will take place on Folsom Street from 7th to 12th Streets on Sunday, September 29. The world’s largest leather event attracts people of all shapes and sizes decked out in the most creative and outrageous leather/rubber/fetish attire imaginable. Over 450,000 people come out for not only the main event, but a week of outlandish and extraordinary events during San Francisco Leather Week, a seven-day celebration of all things leather and kink. Choose your outfit carefully, and make sure to pack the appropriate hankies and fetish gear.
Check out our GayCities Guide to San Francisco.
Photos: Jeffrey James Keyes, Aspen Gay Ski Week, Matinee
John Doe
My favorite thing about this article?
That it isn’t 14 slides where I have to “click through” each and every one of them to get to the next page. This is all on ONE PAGE.
Thank you!
In regards to Rio de Janeiro, I love Rio but have never been that interested in attending Carnival there. I’d much rather be in Rio for New Year’s Eve on Copacabana beach. A million people on the beach, wearing all white (clothes) and watching fireworks. That 1 event is more interesting to me that watching a bunch of elaborate floats and exotic dancers move down a dedicated street built just for that. No offense to those that love that, however. It is just too much of a production for me. I’d rather celebrate Carnival in a smaller town and save Rio for NYE.
Sweet Boy
I had a party in myt bedroom last night with my bf and two neighbours … and I bet it was more fun than any of those parties listed in the article