Bars & Parties
Baltimore celebrates Pride this weekend
Festival, block party to be held in new location


Baltimore Pride (Washington Blade photo by Michael Key)
Baltimore celebrates Pride this weekend with a block party, parade and festival. The Pride Parade and Block Party will take place on Saturday, beginning at 1 p.m. The parade route will begin at the intersection of Eager and Charles streets and continue on Charles Street up to Mount Royal Avenue. The festival runs Saturday 2-8 p.m. and Sunday 11 a.m.-6 p.m. All Pride weekend events will then take place at Mount Royal Avenue and Cathedral St. (No events will take place in Druid Hill Park, as in years past.)
The organization that runs Baltimore Pride announced that Tom Patrick was named as the parade’s grand marshal and Sharon Brackett as the 2014 Activist of the Year.
Patrick is a longtime employee with the non-profit organization Moveable Feast. According to Tom Boderenko, executive director of Moveable Feast, “Patrick engaged thousands of individuals, corporations, churches and schools to volunteer at Moveable Feast, but he has challenged them to think about their fears and stereotypes of the LBGT community, and especially people living with HIV/AIDS.”
Brackett is the founder and board chair of Gender Rights Maryland, an organization advocating for transgender rights and had been instrumental in the passage of the Fairness for All Marylanders Act, also known as SB212, which was recently signed into law.
Bars & Parties
Blade’s 18th annual Summer Kickoff Party set for May 16
Rehoboth Beach event to feature politicos, journalists, special guests

The Washington Blade’s 18th annual Summer Kickoff Party is scheduled for Friday, May 16 in Rehoboth Beach, Del.
The event, held at the Blue Moon (35 Rehoboth Ave.) from 5-7 p.m., is a fundraiser for the Blade Foundation’s Steve Elkins Memorial Fellowship in Journalism, which funds a summer position reporting on LGBTQ news in Delaware. This year’s recipient is Abigail Hatting, a rising senior at American University.
This year’s event will feature remarks from state Sen. Russ Huxtable, who recently introduced a state constitutional amendment to codify the right of same-sex couples to marry. CAMP Rehoboth Executive Director Kim Leisey and Blade editor Kevin Naff will also speak, in addition to surprise guests. The event is generously sponsored by Realtor Justin Noble, The Avenue Inn & Spa, and Blue Moon.
A suggested donation of $20 is partially tax deductible and includes drink tickets and light appetizers. Tickets are available in advance at bladefoundation.org/rehoboth or at the door.
Bars & Parties
MIXTAPE returns Jan. 4

“MIXTAPE with DJs Matt Bailer and Shea Van Horn” will be on Saturday, Jan. 4 at 10 p.m. at the Atlantis.
This event is D.C.’s legendary LGBTQ dance party. Founded in 2008 by DJs Matt Bailer and Shea Van Horn, MIXTAPE quickly became a staple of the city’s queer nightlife, bringing together a vibrant crowd of music lovers, dancers, and everyone in between. Known for its eclectic blend of indie, house, nudisco, and throwbacks, MIXTAPE creates a unique, inclusive experience that brings people back to the dance floor time and again.
Tickets are $20 and can be purchased on the Atlantis website.
Bars & Parties
Ring in the New Year with Capital Pride
Rainbow Masquerade features drag shows, aerial silk performances

Capital Pride will host “Rainbow Masquerade NYE Party” on Tuesday, Dec. 31 at 9 p.m. at 3400 Georgia Ave. NW.
There will be an all-night open bar, midnight Champagne, drag shows and aerial silk performances. There will also be dessert and midnight snack tables and themed photo ops.
To get tickets and a discount (Code: CAPPRIDE for $25 off), visit Capital Pride’s website.
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