Arts & Entertainment
Calendar: events through Jan. 15
Plays, concerts, exhibits and more among week’s offerings
Florence Lacey as Norma Desmond in 'Sunset Blvd.' Signature Theatre, which is hosting a production of the show, is having a special 'Pride Night' at tonight's performance. (Photo by Scott Suchman; courtesy of Signature)
Friday, Jan. 7
D.C. Center (1318 U St., N.W.) is having its monthly open mic night tonight from 8 to 10 p.m. This month the event will feature the work of the Brother Tongue poetry workshop participants. Doors open at 7:30 p.m. and performers can sign up between 7:30 and 8.
ANNIEthing Goes and friends present “Absolina” a birthday celebration with DJs Zenbi, Charles Martin and vANNIEty kills tonight at 10 at Jimmy Valentine’s Lonely Hearts Club (1103 Bladensberg Rd., N.E.)
RAW, hosted by DJs Bil Todd and Shea Van Horn, will be at Green Lantern (1335 Green Court, N.W.) tonight from 10 p.m. to 3 a.m. Free entry before 11 p.m. with a $3 cover after. There will be an open bar from 10 to 11 p.m. Attendees must be 21 or older.
Metropolitan Community Church of Washington’s fundraising team is hosting a bingo night tonight at 7 p.m. at the church (474 Ridge St., N.W.). The evening begins with four early bird games which costs $2 for four cards or $3 for eight cards. This is followed by 17 regular and special games which are packaged for as low as $25. There will be homemade refreshments available in Mama Cecelia’s kitchen.
The Foundry Gallery (1314 18th St., N.W.) is holding an opening reception from 6 to 8 p.m. for its newest exhibit “Celebrate Gay Marriage” which is a juried show of regional artists. The reception will feature a performance by Potomac Fever, part of the Gay Men’s Chorus of Washington. The exhibit will continue through Jan. 30.
Signature Theatre (4200 Campbell Ave.) in Arlington is hosting “Pride Night” tonight featuring a performance of “Sunset Boulevard” followed by a one-hour post-show cocktail and hors d’oeuvres reception. The performance begins at 8 p.m. Signature has also teamed up with Fleet Transportation and is offering a shuttle service from Dupont Circle on P Street directly to the theater leaving at 6:30 and returning at 11:30 p.m. Roundtrip tickets for the bus are $5 and tickets to “Pride Night” are $86 and $91. All tickets can be purchased at the theater box office.
Apex (1415 22nd St., N.W.) and Gloss present First Fridays Ladies Night tonight with music by DJ Rosie in the main room and performances by the D.C. Kings and the D.C. Gurly Show at midnight. There is a $10 cover. Attendees must be 18 or older to enter.
Front Runners is having its monthly happy hour tonight at the Duplex Diner (2004 18th St., N.W.) at 6:30 p.m.
The Dance Party will be at 9:30 Club with Wallpaper, K-Flay, Ra Ra Rasputin and lowercaseletters at 8 p.m. Tickets are $15 and can be purchased at 930.com.
Saturday, Jan. 8
The planning committee for the D.C. Center’s sixth annual Oscar celebration, “Glamour, Glitter, Gold” is meeting today at 11:30 a.m. at the Center (1318 U St., N.W.). The committee is chaired by Michelle Ross and Timur Tugberk.
City Gallery (804 H St., N.E.) will be holding an opening reception for its newest exhibit “Leaves, Words and Screens” featuring the work of Ronnie Spiewak tonight from 6 to 9 p.m. The exhibit will continue through Jan. 29.
Pianist Alexander Paley will be giving a free all-Liszt concert tonight in celebration of what would be Franz Liszt’s 200th birthday at 8 p.m. at Westmoreland Congregational UCC Church (1 Westmoreland Circle) in Bethesda.
Team D.C. will be having an information Q&A session today at 10 a.m. at the Verizon Center. The session is open to anyone, but space is limited. To reserve a space, e-mail Ryan Bos at [email protected].
The Capitol Hill Arts Workshop will host its fifth annual juried photography exhibition and reception today from 5 to 7 p.m. at CHAW (545 7th St., S.E.). The exhibit will feature works from local and regional artists. The show will continue through Feb. 4.
Apex presents Glowing, a fusion of black lights, dayglo paint and glow sticks tonight with DJ Gigi. DJ Michael Brandon will host Caliente, a latin dance party, in the east wing dance lounge. Kristina Kelly and the Girls of Glamour will perform at 11 p.m. There is a $10 cover.
The NSO Teddy Bear Concert: “Fancy That!” will have three performances of a one-woman show with NSO violinist Marissa Regini today at 11 a.m., 1:30 and 5 p.m. in the Kennedy Center’s Family Theatre (2700 F St., N.W.).
Sunday, Jan. 9
LAMBDA SCI-FI, a monthly meeting and social of LGBT science fiction, fantasy and horror fans, will have its annual blind book exchange today at 1:30 p.m. Attendees are encouraged to bring a snack or a non-alcoholic drink to share. The meeting will be held at 1414 17th St., N.W. For more information call James at 202-232-3141, e-mail to [email protected], or visit the group’s website at lambdascifi.org.
D.C. Kings will be at Phase (525 8th St., S.E.) tonight with “One Hit Wonders.” Doors open at 7 p.m. and the performance begins at 10. There is a $5 cover.
The Baltimore Museum of Art (10 Art Museum Drive) is having its free family Sundays with “Collage Wacky Warhol Wigs” today from 2 to 5 p.m. Today is also the last day to view the exhibit “Andy Warhol: The Last Decade.” Tickets to the exhibit range from $15 for adults to $5 for children 6 to 18 years old.
Burgundy Crescent Volunteers will be helping fight hunger in the D.C. area today from 9 a.m. to noon, with D.C. Central Kitchen. Volunteers will help cook, working along chefs who have graduated from the Kitchen’s job training program. No experience is required, just an interest of cooking. The Kitchen provides job skills by using rescued and donated ingredients to teach unemployed and homeless individuals how to cook, then turns this food into free meal services. E-mail [email protected] for more information.
Monday, Jan. 10
The fourth Mid-Atlantic Band Battle IV Preliminaries start tonight at 7 p.m. at Jammin’ Java (227 Maple Ave., E.) in Vienna. The preliminaries continue through Thursday.
Tuesday, Jan. 11
The Baltimore Museum of Art (10 Art Museum Drive) begins “Rest, Restore, Renew,” its winter yoga series, today from 6 to 7:15 p.m. There are six sessions and they are $95 for members and $110 for non-members.
Join Burgundy Crescent Volunteers to help pack safer sex kits from 7 to 9 p.m. tonight at FUK!T’s new packing location Green Lantern, 1335 Green Ct., N.W.
Wednesday, Jan. 12
The Big Gay Book Group will meet tonight at 7 p.m. at 1155 F St., N.W., Suite 200. The book for discussion will be “Great Speeches on Gay Rights” edited by James Daley. For more information, visit the group’s website biggaybookgroup.com or e-mail [email protected].
Rainbow Response will hold its monthly meeting tonight from 7 to 8 p.m. at the D.C. Center (1318 U St., N.W.)
Thursday, Jan. 13
DCBiWomen will be having its monthly dinner at Café Luna (1633 P St., N.W.) tonight from 7 to 8 p.m. For more information, visit dcbiwomen.org.
Exposed Tattoo and Baller Inc., present the D.C. Tattoo Arts Expo starting today at the Crystal City Doubletree Hotel (300 Army Navy Drive) in Arlington with a VIP welcome party in the Sky Dome from 8 p.m. to 2 a.m. The expo will continue through the weekend, ending Sunday.
Friday, Jan. 14
DJ Joshua and TheNewGay present BALLS! Tonight from 10 p.m. to 3 a.m. at Velvet Lounge (915 U St., N.W.) featuring the debut DJ set of Steve Scarlata. There is no cover for this event. Drink specials include $3 Natty Boh and $4 kamikazes.
Gross National Product returns with “The Sound of Palin” at Atlas Performing Arts Center (1333 H St., N.E.) tonight at 8 p.m. Tickets range from $10 to $20 and can be purchased at atlas arts.org.
Saturday, Jan. 15
Blowoff, a dance party featuring gay DJs Bob Mould and Richard Morel, will be at 9:30 Club (815 V St., N.W.) tonight. Doors opens at 11:30 p.m. Attendees must be 21 or older. Tickets are $12 and can be purchased at 930.com.
a&e features
Pride season has begun
LGBTQ parades, festivals to be held throughout region in coming months
LGBTQ Pride festivals, parades and other events have been scheduled in large cities and small towns throughout the region. Pride events around the world culminate in June, but organizers in some municipalities have elected to hold celebrations in other months.
Pride in the region has already begun with last weekend’s Mr., Miss, and Mx. Capital Pride Pageant held at Penn Social as well as Roanoke Pride Festival held in Elmwood Park in Roanoke, Va.
Below is a list of Pride events coming to the region.
MAY
Capital Trans Pride is scheduled for 9:30 a.m.-5 p.m. on Saturday, May 18 at the Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial Library (901 G St., N.W.). The website for the event advertises workshops, panel discussions, a keynote address, a resource fair and more. transpridewashingtondc.org
Equality Prince William Pride is scheduled for 12-4 p.m. on May 18 at the Harris Pavilion (9201 Center St.) in historic downtown Manassas, Va. equalityprincewilliam.org
D.C. Black Pride holds events throughout the city May 24-27. Highlights include an opening reception, dance parties and a community festival at Fort Dupont Park. The Westin Washington, DC Downtown (999 9th St., N.W.) is the host hotel, with several events scheduled there. dcblackpride.org
NOVA Pride and Safe Space NOVA will hold NOVA Pride Prom from 7-11 p.m. on May 31 at Torpedo Factory Art Center in Alexandria, Va. The event is open to all high school students throughout the region, regardless of identity, from rising ninth grade students to graduating seniors. novapride.org
Capital Pride Honors will be held on May 31. The Capital Pride Alliance has announced on its website that nominations are open for awardees. The Honors celebrates excellence in the LGBTQ community and its allies. capitalpride.org
JUNE
Downtown Sykesville Connection is sponsoring Sykesville Pride Day in downtown Sykesville, Md. on June 1 from 12-4 p.m. downtownsykesville.com
Reston Pride will be held at Lake Anne Plaza in Reston, Va. on June 1 from 12-6 p.m. restonpride.org
Fairfax Pride, hosted by the City of Fairfax and George Mason University, will be held at Old Town Hall (3999 University Drive, Fairfax, Va.) on June 1 from 5-7 p.m. The event will include children’s activities and more. fairfaxva.gov
OEC Pride celebrates Pride with “art, dance, education, and fun” in Old Ellicott City. The OEC Pride Festival is held along Main Street in Ellicott City, Md. on June 1 from 10 a.m.-10 p.m. visitoldellicottcity.com
Annapolis Pride has consistently drawn a giant crowd for a parade and festival in the quaint downtown of the Maryland capital. “The Voice” star L. Rodgers has been announced to headline the 2024 festival. The parade and festival will be held on June 1. annapolispride.org
The Alexandria LGBTQ+ Task Force Alexandria Pride is scheduled to be held at Alexandria City Hall from 3 – 6 p.m. on June 1 in Alexandria, Va. alexandriava.gov
The Portsmouth Pride Fest will be held at Festival Park adjacent to the Atlantic-Union Bank Pavilion in Portsmouth, Va. on June 1 from 11 a.m.-5 p.m. portsmouthprideva.com
The Delaware Pride Festival is a free event scheduled for June 1 at Legislative Hall in Dover, Del. from 10 a.m.-5 p.m.The event is billed as family friendly and open to people of all ages and sexual orientations. delawarepride.org
The City of Rockville is hosting Rockville Pride at Rockville Town Square (131 Gibbs St., Rockville, Md.) from 2-5 p.m. on June 2. The free event features live performances, information booths, and children’s activities. rockvillemd.gov
Equality Loudoun is hosting the ticketed Loudoun Pride Festival from 1-7 p.m. on June 2 at Claude Moore Park in Sterling, Va. The event features three stages, a “#Dragstravaganza,” a kid’s zone, an alcohol pavilion, a food hall and more. Tickets $5. eqloco.com
Culpepper Pride is slated to be held at Mountain Run Winery in Culpepper, Va. from 12-6 p.m. on June 2. The theme this year is “True Colors.” culpeperpride.org
The Southwest Virginia Pride Cookout Community Social is planned for 2 p.m. at the Charles R. Hill Senior Center in Vinton, Va. on June 2. For more information, visit the Facebook event page.
Capital Pride kicks off with the RIOT! Opening Party at Echostage starting at 9 p.m. on June 7. Tickets run from $27-$50 and can be purchased on the Capital Pride website. The event is set to feature Sapphire Cristál. capitalpride.org
Pride events continue over the weekend of June 8-9 in the nation’s capital with the Capital Pride Block Party featuring performers and a beverage garden, the massive Capital Pride Parade, Flashback: A totally Radical Tea Dance to be held at the end of the parade route, and the Capital Pride Festival and Concert. Visit capitalpride.org for more information. Other Pride events planned for the weekend in D.C. include a number of parties and the unforgettable (and free) Pride on the Pier & Fireworks Show at the Wharf sponsored by the Washington Blade from 2-10 p.m. prideonthepierdc.com
Pride in the ‘Peake will be held at Summit Pointe (580 Belaire Ave.) in Chesapeake, Va. on June 9 from 12-5 p.m. The family-focused Pride event does not serve alcohol, but will feature community organizations, food trucks and more in a street festival. For more information, visit the Facebook event page.
Celebrate with a drag show, dancing and a lot of wine at Two Twisted Posts Winery in Purcellville, Va. for a Pride Party from 2-5 p.m. on June 15. twotwistedposts.com
Baltimore Pride holds one of the largest Pride parades in the region on June 15 in Baltimore. (2418 Saint Paul St.). The parade concludes with a block party and festival. Pride events are scheduled from June 14-16. baltimorepride.org
The fourth annual Catonsville Pride Fest will be held at the Catonsville Presbyterian Church (1400 Frederick Rd.) in Catonsville, Md. on June 15 from 3-6 p.m. The event features a High Heel Race, pony rides, face painting, local cuisine and more. For more information, visit the Facebook event page.
The Ghent Business District Palace Shops have announced a Ghent Pride event from 5:30-9:30 p.m. on June 17 at the Palace Shops and Station (301 W 21st Street) in Norfolk, Va. ghentnorfolk.org
An event dedicated to celebrating the elders in the LGBTQ community, Silver Pride is scheduled for June 20 at 5:30-8:30 p.m. Location and more information to be announced soon. capitalpride.org
Visit the Hampton Roads PrideFest and Boat Parade for a truly unique Pride experience along the Elizabeth River. The full day of entertainment, education and celebration will be held on June 22 from 12-7 p.m. at Town Point Park (113 Waterside Dr.) in Norfolk, Va. hamptonroadspride.org
Frederick, Md. will hold its annual Frederick Pride Festival at Carroll Creek Linear Park on June 22 from 11 a.m.-6 p.m. Entertainers include CoCo Montrese of “RuPaul’s Drag Race.” frederickpride.org
The fourth annual Pride at the Beach is scheduled for 2-10 p.m. on June 23 at Neptune’s Park (3001 Atlantic Ave.) in Virginia Beach, Va. The event features entertainment, community vendors, beachside DJ sets, food trucks and offers a “perfect conclusion to an unforgettable Pride weekend.” hamptonroadspride.org
Winchester Pride will hold its Mx. Winchester Pride Pageant at 15 N. Loudoun St. in Winchester, Va. on June 23 at 6 p.m. Tickets are $20 in advance/$25 at the door. winchesterpride.com
The organizers of last year’s inaugural Ocean City Pride with a “parade” along the boardwalk in Ocean City, Md. have announced that they will be organizing a return this year with events from June 28-30. instagram.com
The third annual Arlington Pride Festival will be held at Long Bridge Park at National Landing (475 Long Bridge Dr.) in Arlington, Va. on June 29 from 11 a.m.-3 p.m. arlvapride.com
FXBG Pride is holding its annual community Fredericksburg Pride March on June 29 from 10-11 a.m. at Riverfront Park (705 Sophia St.) in Fredericksburg, Va. Speeches begin at 10 a.m. and the procession starts at 10:30 a.m. For more information, visit the Facebook event page.
Salisbury Pride “90’s Edition” is scheduled for 3 – 7 p.m. on June 29 in Downtown Salisbury, Md. Magnolia Applebottom is listed as the headliner and grand marshal. salisburyprideparade.com
The 2024 Suffolk Pride Festival is scheduled for Bennett’s Creek Park in Suffolk, Va. on June 30 from 12-7 p.m. Visit the Facebook event page for more information.
Expect music, entertainment and drag performances in the picturesque mountain town of Cumberland, Md. at the Cumberland Pride Festival on June 30 from 12-4 p.m. at Canal Place. cumberlandpride.org
Montgomery County’s annual Pride in the Plaza will be held on June 30 from 12-8 p.m. at Veterans Plaza (1 Veterans Place, Silver Spring, Md. liveinyourtruth.org
JULY
The sixth annual Westminster Pride Festival is scheduled for downtown Westminster, Md. on July 13 from 12-6 p.m. westminsterpride.org
Hagerstown Hopes is holding its annual Hagerstown Pride Festival in Doubs Woods Park (1307 Maryland Ave.) in Hagerstown, Md. on July 13 at 11 a.m. Visit the Facebook event page for more information.
The Rehoboth Beach Pride Festival will be held on July 20 from 10 a.m.-2 p.m., with other Sussex Pride events scheduled throughout the weekend of July 18-21. sussexpride.org
Us Giving Us Richmond hosts Black Pride RVA in Richmond, Va. with events on July 19-21. ugrcrva.org
Photos
PHOTOS: On assignment in Hungary, Poland, and Germany
International News Editor Michael K. Lavers traveled to Eastern Europe this month
BERLIN — The Washington Blade was on assignment in Hungary, Poland, and Germany from April 2-16.
The Blade interviewed LGBTQ activists, government officials, and refugees from Ukraine who have resettled in Berlin and in Warsaw, the Polish capital. The Blade also visited Auschwitz in Oświęcim, Poland.
Drag queens entertain patrons of La Pose, a gay bar in Warsaw, Poland, on April 8, 2024, during a broadcast of an episode of “Czas na Show” or “Drag Me Out,” a reality show that features male Polish celebrities performing in drag with drag queens. (Washington Blade video by Michael K. Lavers)
Performers at SchwuZ on April 14, 2024. (Washington Blade video by Michael K. Lavers)
The 32nd annual Roanoke Pride Festival was held at Elmwood Park in Roanoke, Va. on Sunday, April 29.
(Washington Blade photos by Michael Key)
United Methodist Church removes 40-year ban on gay clergy
Republican state AGs challenge Biden administration’s revised Title IX policies
University students have a right to protest
Former CAMP Rehoboth official sentenced to nine months in prison
Christian Siriano to serve as grand marshal of Annapolis Pride Parade
Md. governor signs Freedom to Read Act
HHS reverses Trump-era anti-LGBTQ rule
PHOTOS: Capital Pride Pageant
4th Circuit rules gender identity is a protected characteristic
