Out & About
Spooky gay fun
LGBT Halloween parties are going on throughout the city


(Washington Blade file photo by Ann Little)
There are tons of local gay Halloween parties planned in the region. All events are for Halloween night (Oct. 31). Here are a few:
D.C. Bear Crue hosts aĀ Monster Bear PartyĀ at Town (2009 8th St., N.W.) fromĀ 6-11 p.m.Ā There will be a Halloween costume contest with third prize winner receiving $25 in drink tickets and a bottle of cheap vodka, second prize is $50 in drink tickets and a bottle of Smirnoff and first prize is $100 in drink tickets and a bottle of Grey Goose. For more details, visitĀ dcbearcrue.com.
Mixtape holds its third annual Halloween bashĀ at the Howard Theatre (620 T St., N.W.) fromĀ midnight-4 a.m.Ā DJ Shea Van Horn and DJ Matt Bailer will play a mix of indie, dance and pop. Tickets are $10. For more information, visitĀ thehowardtheatre.com.
Green Lantern (1335 Green Ct., N.W.) hostsĀ Not Another Drag Show: the 10th EditionĀ atĀ 10 p.m.Ā Performances will be by Sofonda Coxxx, Gladys Kravitz, Surley Bossy and many more. There will be a live auction, Halloween costume contest and drink specials. There is a suggested $5 donation at the door to benefit the Gay Menās Chorus of Washingtonās GenOUT youth outreach program. For details, visitĀ greenlanterndc.com.
Phase 1 (525 8th St., S.E.) hosts a Halloween partyĀ ThrillherĀ atĀ 7:30 p.m.Ā There will be a costume contest atĀ midnightĀ with a $300 cash prize. DJ Lez Rage will play tracks and there will be drink specials. For more details, visitĀ phase1dc.com.
Girl Code hostsĀ #GirlCodeFridaze Halloween Edition, a costume party, at Vita Lounge (1318 9th St., N.W.) fromĀ 10 p.m.-3 a.m.Ā Admission is $10 beforeĀ midnightĀ and $15 after. Come in costume and admission is $10 all night. For more information, visitĀ girlcodefridaze.eventbee.com.
Treats or Freaks,Ā an LGBT ladies Halloween party, is at Mad Momos (3605 14th St., N.W.) fromĀ 10 p.m.-3 a.m.Ā DJ Jai Syncere, Dj India and DJ DeeDub will provide music. Come in costume and tickets are $10 before11:30Ā and $15 after, without a costume tickets are $20 all night. There will be four costume contests with cash prizes. For more information, visitĀ dcpridebarhop.com.
Cobalt (1639 R St., N.W.) hostsĀ Madscience Presents: Freak ShowĀ atĀ 10 p.m.Ā DJ Madscience will host the party. Sasha Adams will host the costume contest with a grand prize of $1,000. Belevedere drinks are $6 all night and there will also be an open vodka bar fromĀ 11 p.m.-midnight. For more information, visitĀ cobaltdc.com.
Number Nine (1435 P St., N.W.) holds aĀ Halloween party atĀ 10 p.m.Ā hosted by Peaches. There will be a costume contest starting atĀ 11 p.m.Ā with a prize of $250 in cash and a $250 Number Nine gift card. For more details, visitĀ numberninedc.com.
The Mansion on O Street (2020 O St., N.W.) hosts aĀ Halloween costume partyĀ fromĀ 8 p.m.-midnight. There will be a DJ, prizes, a chocolate fountain, pumpkin decorating contest and a treasure hunt. During the party guests will have the opportunity to explore the 100 rooms in the mansion. There is also a cash bar. Costume contest categories include best couples costume, most creative, scariest costume and more. Tickets are $50. For more information, visitĀ omansion.com.
Out & About
Fundraisers, block parties, art, wine and more events coming to our area
Enjoy the best of the seasonās entertainment

Temperatures are dropping, leaves are turning orange, and the sun is setting earlier. But life in D.C. is still vibrant with a variety of arts events for the coming months.
Shop Made in DC will host āWine & Watercolorsā on Friday, Sept. 15 at 5 p.m. at Shop Made in DCās Georgetown location. Guests will enjoy two complimentary glasses of wine while making watercolor art inspired by one of the shopās designs. Tickets cost $25 and can be purchased on Eventbrite.Ā
Artbae will host āIntimate Encounters Art Show: Exploeing the Art of Intimacy & Connectionā on Saturday, Sept. 16 at 4 p.m. at Selina Union Market. This event will raise awareness about HIV and sexual health while taking guests on a sensory adventure where they dive into the vulnerability of touch. This event is free and more details are available on Eventbrite.Ā
Sweet Water Gallery will host āWater in the African Skyā starting Sunday Sept. 17 at 12 p.m. at Wharf Street. This abstract exhibit by Franklin Eze will showcase works by African artists celebrating unique beauty and richness through an abstract scope. This event is free and more details are available on Eventbrite.Ā
Award-winning, Black LGBTQ comedian Sampson McCormick will perform on Tuesday, Sept. 19 at 6:30 p.m. at DC Comedy Loft. McCormick uses humor and nuance to help audiences process life challenges and human differences regarding race, religion, and sexuality. Tickets are $25 and can be purchased on DC Comedy Loftās website.Ā
CAMP Rehoboth Chorus Ensemble will present āMusic of the Night,ā a series of three concerts starting on Tuesday, Sept. 19 at 7 p.m. at Epworth United Methodist. The concert program will feature songs āFly Me To The Moon,ā āMoondance,ā and āA Hard Dayās Night.ā Tickets cost $25 and can be purchased on CAMP Rehobothās website.
LGBTQ bar Shakers will host āMX Shakers,ā a drag competition in which queens will start competing on Wednesday, Sept. 20. The competition will be hosted by āRuPaulās Drag Raceā contestant Tatianna. Along with Tatianna, the challenge will feature judges Evry Pleasure, King Molasses and Alexa Shontelle.
The 20th Annual DC Shorts International Film Festival begins on Wednesday, Sept. 20 at JxJās Cafritz Hall and the Alamo Drafthouse Cinema DC. At least 135 films from 20 countries will be screened. There will also be parties, eight panel discussions, and filmmaker talkback after many of the showcase screenings. For more details, visit the festivalās website.Ā
The Anthem will host Janelle MonaĆ© on Sunday, Sept. 25 at 8 p.m. as part of their āAge of Pleasureā tour. Tickets start at $144 and can be purchased on The Anthemās website.Ā
The Art League will host āArt on the Rocksā on Friday, Sept. 29 at 5:30 p.m. at Waterfront Park. This event showcases talented local mixologists and chefs competing to create artistic cocktail and appetizer pairings inspired by art. Tickets cost $70 and can be purchased on Eventbrite.Ā
9:30 club will host āGasolina: Reggaeton Partyā on Friday, Oct. 6 at 10 p.m. Tickets start at $22 and can be purchased on 9:30 Clubās website.Ā
Union Stage will host āLook What You Made Me Do: Taylor Swift Dance Partyā on Saturday, Oct. 7 at 10:30 p.m. at Howard Theatre. Tickets start at $20 and can be purchased on Howard Theaterās website.Ā
The Human Rights Campaign hosts its annual National Dinner on Saturday, Oct. 14 at the D.C. Convention Center. Tickets are sold out but you can join a waitlist at hrcnationaldinner.org.
CAMP Rehoboth hosts its 2023 Block Party on the second block of Baltimore Avenue, Rehoboth Beach, Del., on Sunday, Oct. 15 from 11 a.m.-4 p.m. Local restaurants, entertainers, businesses, and nonprofits will participate. All ages are welcome. Admission is free; donations benefit the CAMP Rehoboth Community Center.
Capital Cabaretās Annual Fall Gala and Raffle will be on Thursday, Oct. 19 at the Carlysle Room. The event will feature performances from Broadway star Susan Derry and local D.C. cabaret artists. Tickets cost $150. For more details, email [email protected].Ā
SMYAL hosts its 26th annual Fall Brunch on Saturday, Oct. 26 at the Marriott Marquis. Tickets at smyal.org. The event includes a cocktail reception featuring a silent auction, a three-course brunch, and a chance to hear from some of the communityās most inspiring leaders.
Sweet Honey in the Rock will perform on Friday, Nov. 3 at 7 p.m. at St. Maryās College of Maryland Dodge Performing Arts Center. The group is a performance ensemble rooted in African-American history and culture. It educates, entertains and empowers its audience and community through the dynamic vehicles of a cappella singing and American Sign Language interpretation for the Deaf and hard of hearing. Tickets cost $25 and can be purchased on Eventbrite.

The fifth annual DC Comedy Festival will start on Monday Sept. 11 at 7 p.m. at Dupont Underground.
The festival, in partnership with Broken Diamond Comedy, will bring together more than 100 talented comedians from both local and international scenes. It is a celebration of the vibrant comedy talent in the D.C. metro area and an homage to the city that launched the careers of comedy legends like Dave Chappelle, Martin Lawrence, and Wanda Sykes.
Tickets are $25 and can be purchased on Eventbrite.
Out & About
Queer and love to paint? Now is your time to shine
Green Lantern holds ‘Thirst and Paint’ event

āThirst and Paintā will take place on Tuesday, Sept. 12 at 7 p.m. at the upstairs section of Green Lantern Bar.
This event is catered to the LGBTQ+ communityā allies are also welcome. And guests will be treated to one free drink, a canvas to take home, and a live model to pose for them.
Tickets are $25 and can be purchased on Eventbrite.Ā
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