Arts & Entertainment
D.C. Black Pride events
Parties, poetry, seminars, services and more
Black Pride Opening Reception (Washington Blade file photo by Blake Bergen)
Friday, May 23
Grand Hyatt Washington (1000 H St., N.W.) holds the opening reception and awards ceremony in the Independence Ballroom tonight from 6:30-8:30 p.m. Awards given will include the Ruth Ellis Award to the D.C. Metropolitan Police Gay and Lesbian Liaison Unit. Local recording artist Rose Breyae will perform. There will also be hors d’oeuvres and a cash bar.
Kabin Lounge (1337 Connecticut Ave., N.W.) hosts “The Warmup!,” the opening reception, pass distribution and happy hour, 4-9 p.m. There is no cover charge. Music will be a mix of hip-hop, R&B, reggae and house.
Ibiza (1222 First St., N.E.) hosts 5000 Men Pride Mega Party with a performance by soul singer Elle Varner from 9:30 p.m.-3:30 a.m. “Real Housewives of Atlanta” cast member Marlo Hampton will host.
Vita Lounge (1318 9th St., N.W.) hosts “Gurl’s Play,” a dance party, from 10 p.m.-3 a.m. The night will be hosted by Dynce with music by DJ Jai Sincere and DJ Lady Mysterious. Tickets are $10 in advance, $15 before midnight and $20 after midnight.
Rainbow Connects hosts speed dating and networking at the Grand Hyatt Washington (1000 H St., N.W.) from 8:30-10:30 p.m. Check in starts at 7:30 p.m.
Saturday, May 24
Fitness trainer Coach G presents a Powercore workshop at the Grand Hyatt Washington (1000 H St., N.W.) from 10:30-11:30 a.m. The workshop teaches how to workout to define core muscles through a series of exercises focused on improving strength, flexibility, balance and mobility. Coach G has shared his fitness expertise on CNN, Fox News and writes a regular fitness column for the Blade.
There will be a writer’s forum at the Grand Hyatt Washington (1000 H St., N.W.) from 12:30-1:45 p.m. The moderator will be journalist Wyatt O’Brian Evans. Writers scheduled to appear are Buddah Desmond, La Toya Hankins, J. Omar and more.
Ballroom Community 101: Everything You Wanted to Know about the Ballroom Community, a workshop that explores the ballroom culture as shown in the documentary “Paris is Burning,” is at the Grand Hyatt Washington (1000 H St., N.W.) on the Independence level from 1-2 p.m. Guests are encouraged to bring questions to discuss.
Are You Afraid of Aging: An Intergenerational Discussion is at the Grand Hyatt Washington (1000 H St., N.W.) from 2-3 p.m. The discussion will explore how each generation views aging.
Poet Tim’m West hosts D.C. Black Pride Poetry Slam at the Grand Hyatt Washington (1000 H St., N.W.) from 7-9 p.m. Sign up begins at 6 p.m. There will only be 15 spots available for the first round of poetry. Five audience members will be chosen to judge. The first place winner will receive $250, second place $100 and third place $50.
The Park on 14th (920 14th St., N.W.) hosts The Chill Out Super Day Party from 3-9 p.m. There will be three DJs on three levels spinning tracks. Free food is included for pass holders.
Echostage (2135 Queens Chapel Rd., N.E.) hosts the Wet Dream Mega Party from 9:30 p.m.- 4 a.m. R&B singer Amerie will perform.
Upscale Ballroom (3900 Bexlery Pl., Suitland, Md.) hosts the Insomniac Pride After Party from 3 a.m. until sunrise. There will be dancers and hip-hop, R&B and house music.
Sunday, May 25
There will be an interfaith service at the Grand Hyatt Washington (1000 H St., N.W.) from 9-11 a.m.
The Rock the Block Party will be held at the Fairgrounds (1299 Half St., S.E.) from 3-9 p.m. DJs will be playing hip-hop, R&B, reggae, and house music. Rapper Fly Young will perform.
The Health and Wellness Festival an HIV/AIDS awareness festival, is at Francis-Stevens School (2425 N St. N.W.) from noon-6 p.m There will be vendors, food and activities for children.
African-American Collective Theatre presents “Missing Pieces” at Anacostia Playhouse (2020 Shannon Pl. S.E.) with two performances at 6:30 and 8 p.m. The play tells the story of a veteran detective and his rookie partner who try to solve the murder of a popular gay activist.
Aqua Restaurant and Bar (1818 New York Ave., N.E.) holds its sixth annual House Rocker Female Dancer of the Year Competition from 9 p.m.-4 a.m. There will be a $1,000 cash prize.
Monday, May 26
The Annual Picnic will be held at Fort Dupont Park from 11 a.m.-4 p.m. There will be live music and entertainment.
Kabin Lounge (1337 Connecticut Ave., N.W.) hosts the Apocalypse Chapter V: The Close Out Party from 10 p.m.-2 a.m. There will be dancers and hip-hop, R&B, reggae and house music.
Tickets are available to become a pass holder at any of the parties and picnic for $130. They include perks such as free food, drinks, no cover charge and skipping lines.
2013 Black Pride Us Helping Us BBQ. (Washington Blade file photo by Damien Salas)
The fourth annual Equality Prince William Pride was held at the Harris Pavilion in Manassas, Va. on Saturday, May 17.
(Washington Blade photos by Michael Key)
The Washington Blade held its 18th annual Summer Kickoff Party in Rehoboth Beach, Del., on Friday, May 16. Delaware Gov. Matt Meyer spoke along with State Sen. Russ Huxtable, CAMP Rehoboth Executive Director Kim Leisey, Blade Editor Kevin Naff, and Clear Space Theatre Managing Director Joe Gfaller. The event raises funds for the Steve Elkins Memorial Fellowship in Journalism, which was awarded to AU student Abigail Hatting.
(Washington Blade photos by Daniel Truitt)
In some fowl fiction foreshadowing, a gay-owned chicken joint has come home to roost on U Street, taking a page from the chicken window subplot on the HBO show “Looking.”
Last Friday, Lucky Pollo – much more than just a takeout window – stretched its wings atop the busy nightlife corner of 14th and U Streets NW.
Behind the poultry production place is Zach Renovátes, a D.C.-based nightlife operator and managing partner of LGBTQ venues Bunker and District Eagle, as well as the LGBTQ event production company KINETIC Presents.
Renovátes opened Bunker in February 2023 and District Eagle in January of this year. Lucky Pollo is the third in his growing gay empire, though this time there are noshes.
“Lucky Pollo was meant to be fun and a little provocative,” Renovátes said.
Based around its Peruvian-style rotisserie chicken, Lucky Pollo is a quick-service restaurant boasting a small menu of poultry and sides. Renovátes says that the dishes are deeply rooted in Peruvian culinary tradition, “a playful experience alongside seriously good food.”
Lucky Pollo’s signature chicken is steeped in a dozen-plus-spice marinade for 24 hours. The meat is then slow-roasted, rotisserie-style, over oak-wood charcoal. Chicken options include quarter, half, and whole.
Helming the kitchen at Lucky Pollo is Chef Luis Herrera, who brings Peruvian recipes passed down through three generations, including his grandmother Laura’s original creations.
Beyond the full bird, the menu features Peruvian-inspired sides like yuca fries (“I personally love these,” says Renovátes) and fried plantains, as well as comfort classics such as mac and cheese and mashed potatoes, and bowls, wraps, and salads. Herrera oversees development of the multiple sauces (including staff favorite, the “secret green sauce”), crafted in-house using traditional Peruvian ingredients.
Lucky Pollo, in its streetside perch, is an independent concept from District Eagle, open to the public and staying open late (3 a.m. on weekends) to serve both nightlife guests and the wider U Street crowd hungry for late-night bites. However, just beyond the kitchen, tucked in the back lies a vintage 1950s candy machine—labeled “Out of Order,” which serves as the door leading to subterranean District Eagle.
Renovátes notes that when District Eagle is open, security staff will maintain a strict two-line policy, ensuring that those seeking meat to eat will not get entwined with those looking to gain access to District Eagle.
Lucky Pollo unites the need for sustenance with the idea of a bit of fortune, given its motto, “Get Lucky” and the whimsical brand mascot: a leather-booted chicken perched on a horseshoe. Renovátes and his District Eagle business partner had always been interested in opening a restaurant, and the Lucky Pollo space was indeed lucky: It already came with a functional kitchen. Plus, he says, the nearby fast-casual places around 14th and U streets “don’t offer a lot of quality options,” so opening the chicken spot “was a no-brainer.”
The space, designed by NYC creative Jasin Cadic, blends theatrical street-art-style vibes with Keith Haring-inspired wall prints, neon signs, and ceiling-hung chicken figurines —”some edgy, some sweet,” says Renovátes —creating an immersive, playful atmosphere. Lucky Pollo and District Eagle maintain separate amenities for their respective customers.
Lucky Pollo opened last week with a competition to devour a whole rotisserie chicken in the fastest time, with the winner earning $1,000 and a framed spot on the restaurant’s “Wall of Fame.” The opening also featured other games and prizes, and a full crowd spilling out the door.
“We want it to be a great place to eat, but also serve as a playful front for something completely unexpected.” Renovátes says.
On weekends especially, he jokes, the motto will be, ‘Come for the chicken, stay for the cock.’”
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