Arts & Entertainment

FALL ARTS 2019 MISC. EVENTS: Things to do, places to go, people to see

Some events — galas, benefits, stand-up acts, etc. — don’t fit in our other fall arts categories. We gathered up all the miscellany here!

Published

7 years ago

September 12, 2019

Joey DiGuglielmo

gay events dc, gay news, Washington Blade — ‘Drag Race’ champ **Bianca Del Rio** plays the Lincoln Oct. 18. (Photo by Rene Koala)

Get out your calendar!

The eighth annual Charlottesville Pride Festival is Saturday, Sept. 14 from 11 a.m.-7 p.m. Details at virginia.org.

Rainbow History Project presents walking tours called “Queering Capitol Hill” by Philip Clark Sept. 14 and 22. Sign up at culturaltourismdc.org. More info at rainbowhistory.org.

Rayceen has several events throughout fall including “Art All Night” (Saturday, Sept. 14), “Rayceen’s Reading Room” (Monday, Sept. 23), “Rayceen, Fix Me Up!” Autumn Mixer” (Thursday, Oct. 17), and regular “Ask Rayceen Show” dates Oct. 2 and Nov. 6 at the HRC Equality Center (1640 Rhode Island Ave., N.W.). Team Rayceen is also presenting “AfroQueer: Black LGBTQ Immigrants in America” on Thursday, Oct. 24 at the HRC Equality Center (1640 Rhode Island Ave., N.W.) at 7 p.m. It’s free. Details at askrayceen.com.

“LGBT! #ShowUp4DC!” is Thursday, Sept. 19 at 10 a.m. at the Rayburn House Office Building (45 Independence Ave., S.W.) for a hearing on H.R. 51, a D.C. Statehood Bill. Organizers say “statehood has always been an LGBTQ issue.” Look for the event on Facebook for details.

“A Tupperware Party with Dixie Longate,” a benefit drag performance for D.C. Different Drummers, is Thursday, Sept. 19 at Arena Stage (1101 6th St., S.W.). Tickets are $45 at dcdd.org/dixie.

The Washington Blade has its 18th annual Best of Gay D.C. readers’ poll awards on Thursday, Sept. 19 (earlier this year) at Dacha Navy Yard (79 Potomac Ave., S.E.). Tickets are $25 via Eventbrite or Facebook.

The Maryland Trans Resilience Conference is Saturday, Sept. 21 at 9 a.m. at the Lord Baltimore Hotel (20 W. Baltimore St.) in Baltimore.

AIDS Walk Delaware is Saturday, Sept. 21 at 9 a.m. in Rehoboth Beach, Del. Details at aidswalkdelaware.org.

Night Out for The Trevor Project is Wednesday, Sept. 25 at 6 p.m. at Pitchers (2317 18th St., N.W.). Details at thetrevorproject.org.

The 14th annual Hispanic LGBTQ Heritage Awards are Wednesday, Sept. 25 at 6 p.m. at HRC (1640 Rhode Island Ave., N.W.). Admission is free but donations will be accepted at the door. Details at latinoglbthistory.org.

Washington-Israel LGBTQ & Allies Reception is Wednesday, Sept. 25 at 7 p.m. at Sonoma (223 Pennsylvania Ave., S.E.). It’s a chance for locals to meet queer CEOs from Israel, here for AWB’s Reverse Mission project. Tickets are $18 at awiderbridge.org.

“Queer Eye’s” Jonathan Van Ness is at Sixth & I (600 I St., N.W.) on Thursday, Sept. 26 at 7:30 p.m. to talk about his new book “Over the Top.” It’s sold out but last-minute tickets may become available at sixthandi.org.

The National Trans Visibility March is Saturday, Sept. 28 at Freedom Plaza. Registration is suggested but not required. The Torch Awards are the night before.

The 23rd annual HRC National Dinner is Saturday, Sept. 28 at the Washington Convention Center (801 Mt. Vernon Pl., N.W.) at 5 p.m. Tickets are $400 at hrcnationaldinner.org.

Desiree Dik’s “Slay Them” drag competition is held the first Friday of each month at 9 p.m. at Red Bear Brewing (209 M St., N.E.). The next is Friday, Oct. 4.

The Bachelors Mill Reunion 2019 is Saturday, Oct. 5 at 6 p.m. at District Soul Food Restaurant & Lounge (500 8th St., S.E.), the original Bachelors Mill location.

The fifth annual VIDA Thrive 5k is Saturday, Oct. 12 at 8 a.m. in Rock Creek Park. Register and find info at vidathrive5k.com.

Rainbow Families Family Camp is Oct. 14–16 at Camp Tockwogh in Worton, Md. Details at rainbowfamilies.org.

Out figure skater Adam Rippon, who won a team bronze at the 2018 Olympics and later won “Dancing With the Stars,” will be at Sixth & I Synagogue (600 I St., N.W.) on Wednesday, Oct. 16 at 7 p.m. to speak about his new memoir “Beautiful on the Outside.” Tickets are $20-45 at eventbrite.com.

The Washington Blade has its 50th Birthday Gala on Friday, Oct. 18 starting at 6 p.m. with cocktails at the InterContinental (801 Wharf St., S.W.). Tickets are $300. Details at blade50th.com.

La Fantasy presents the Superhero Underwear Party with Eliad Cohen on Friday, Oct. 18 at 10 p.m. at Saint Yves (1220 Connecticut Ave., N.W.). Tickets are $25 at seetickets.us.

“Drag Race” champ Bianca Del Rio brings her “It’s Jester Joke” tour to The Lincoln Theatre (1215 U St., N.W.) on Friday, Oct. 18 at 6:30 p.m. Tickets are $39.50-199 at ticketfly.com.

The SMYAL Fall Brunch is Sunday, Oct. 20 at the Marriott Marquis (901 Massachusetts Ave., N.W.) at 10:30 a.m. Tickets are $250 at bidpal.net/smyal.

The fourth annual CAMP Rehoboth Block Party is Sunday, Oct. 20 from 11 a.m.-4 p.m. at the CAMP Rehoboth Community Center (37 Baltimore Ave., Rehoboth Beach, Del.). Details at camprehoboth.com.

The eighth annual Chefs for Equality event (an HRC benefit) is Tuesday, Oct. 22 at Washington National Cathedral at 5:30 p.m. Tickets went up this year — they’re $225. Details at chefsforequality.org.

Baltimore Black Pride 2018 is Oct. 25-27. This year’s theme is “Revival.” It opens with a networking event Oct. 25, a brunch with the theme “Healing Black LGBTQ Trauma” and Halloween masquerade party are Oct. 26. Oct. 27 is Sunday Family Fun Day. Details at cbebaltimore.org.

Swazz presents “Queer Halloween Party” on Friday, Oct. 25 at 9 p.m. at Smith Public Trust (3514 12th St., N.E.). Tickets are $10 at swazzevents.com.

Miss Adams Morgan is Saturday, Oct. 26 at 6 p.m. at the Washington Hilton (1919 Connecticut Ave., N.W.).

The Walk & 5K to End HIV 2019 is Saturday, Oct. 26 at 7 a.m. (check-in) kicking off and ending at Fredom Plaza (Pennsylvania Ave. and 13th streets, N.W.). The 5k begins at 9:15. The walk begins at 9:20. Post-race activities start at 10. Details at walktoendhiv.org.

“RuPaul’s Drag Race: Werq the World Tour” is Sunday, Oct. 27 at 8 p.m. at The Anthem (901 Wharf St., S.W.). Tickets start at $52 at ticketmaster.com.

The 32nd annual High Heel Race is Tuesday, Oct. 29 on 17th Street, N.W.

“Randy Rainbow Live!” is Saturday, Nov. 2 at 7 p.m. at the Hippodrome (12 N. Eutaw St.) in Baltimore. Tickets are $57-77 at ticketmaster.com.

Todrick Hall brings his “Haus Party Tour” to the Warner Theatre (513 13th St., N.W.) on Saturday, Nov. 9. He plays Baltimore Nov. 10. Tickets are $23-42 at livenation.com.

The Veterans Day wreath-laying ceremony for LGBT veterans is Monday, Nov. 11 at noon at Congressional Cemetery (1801 E St., S.E.).

Transgender Day of Remembrance is Wednesday, Nov. 20 at 6 p.m. at The D.C. Center (2000 14th St., N.W., suite 105). Details at thedccenter.org.

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Photos

Center for Black Equity honors leaders, activists at BE. Gala

Miyake-Mugler, Oakes co-host annual awards ceremony

Published

6 hours ago

October 11, 2026

Michael Key

Center for Black Equity President and CEO Kenya Hutton speaks at the 2026 BE. Gala on Saturday. (Blade photo by Michael Key)

The Center for Black Equity held its annual BE. Gala at Conrad Washington, D.C. on Saturday, Oct. 5. Lolita Leopard Miyake-Mugler and Anthony Oakes co-hosted the awards ceremony.

Honorees included journalist and producer Justin Stewart; nonprofit leader Nikki Alexander; HIV advocate Marlene McNeese; the nonprofit organization FreeLux Project; actress Monroe Alise; public health advocate Tori Cooper; Manassas Park Vice Mayor Darryl G. Moore; Rev. Dr. Carmarion D. Anderson; Bishop Steven Sawyer; government relations professional Courtney Snowden; Senior Deputy Director of HAHSTA at D.C. Health, Clover Barnes; and Texas state Rep. Venton C. Jones.

The event was sponsored by Gilead.

(Washington Blade photos by Michael Key)

Books

In ‘The Lost Brontë,’ a complicated lie can lead to danger

New book features sweetly romantic girl-meets-girl twist

Published

11 hours ago

October 11, 2026

Terri Schlichenmeyer

(Book cover image courtesy of Bywater Books)

‘The Lost Brontë’
By Catherine Friend
c.2026, Bywater Books
$22.95/335 pages

Mom always said to tell the truth.

One lie leads to another and another and you have to remember them all until pretty soon, you’re caught. Fibs are hard, mistruths are messy, even little white social lies can destroy trust. Worst of all, as in the new novel, “The Lost Brontë” by Catherine Friend, a complicated lie can lead to danger.

Though Lilianne Loxley was very young when she lost her parents, she understood that her uncle didn’t really want her. As time passed, though, Lily made herself useful to Uncle, writing and signing letters for him and she became a good companion, helping him with his collection of Brontë memorabilia. Uncle was a keen enthusiast.

She had no idea that his obsession was out of control and he was deeply in arrears. The day Lily learned of his debt was the day she learned that he’d agreed to send her to his debtor’s home to work off the money owed.

It was so sudden. One minute, Lily was at Loxley House, happy and loved by Uncle’s staff … and five hours later, she was at Crag Thorn Manor, home of Lord Bexton, who informed her that she’d be working on his ledgers – work that seemed routine, but Lily tackled it.

Uncle always did say she was headstrong.

But would headstrong be enough to survive, when she was restricted from most of the Manor, when she was forced to dine with Brexton and his slimy friend, or – the worst! – when Brexton told Lily that her next task was to forge a letter from Emily Brontë? And then an entire manuscript?

Lily struggled to do what was right. She had to get Uncle out of debt but this last order horrified her. Did she dare refuse Brexton’s orders and commit a crime? It was unthinkable!

The only brightness in the whole situation was Wren, the ladies’ maid assigned to Lily’s room. Wren was adorable with freckles and the sweetest smile. But with everything else happening at Crag Thorn Manner, could Lily act upon her feelings?

This time of year, you may come to crave dark, spooky stories, and “The Last Brontë” fits those needs perfectly with its Gothic deliciousness. Think: Daphne du Maurier-type, stormy-night squirms with a dangerously chaste, sweetly romantic girl-meets-girl twist for fun.

If it’s been awhile since you’ve read a Gothic novel, you’re in for a nice reminder of why you love them here. You can almost tick off the must-haves: a novel like this is nothing without a foreboding stone manor with damp walls; stone steps to a dank basement; a mysterious portrait; and a nearby bog, and author Catherine Friend gives readers every one of them. You’d be disappointed if there was no ghost, wouldn’t you? Ha. You can practically feel the cold blow through the attic, right? Yeah, it’s that kind of book.

If you’re a fan of the Brontës, you’ll like this novel. If you love Gothic mysteries or Victorian romances, ditto. “The Lost Brontë” is good, no lie.

The Blade may receive commissions from qualifying purchases made via this post.

Out & About

CAMP Rehoboth Block Party returns Oct. 18

Expect performances, vendors and more at annual celebration

Published

11 hours ago

October 11, 2026

Tinashe Chingarande

CAMP Rehoboth’s annual Block Party returns next weekend. (Washington Blade file photo by Michael Key)

CAMP Rehoboth will host its annual Block Party celebration on Sunday, Oct.18 at 11 a.m. on the second block of Baltimore Avenue in downtown Rehoboth Beach.

CAMP Rehoboth invites all community members to join in the festivities and to expect magnificent performances and dozens of vendors, including artists, craftspeople, non-profits, businesses, and more.

The event started in 2015 in celebration of CAMP Rehoboth’s 25th anniversary. This year, attendees can expect to shop sea glass art, pottery, jewelry, Pride merch, body care, clothing, and learn more about local non-profit causes and businesses.

Attendance is free. For more details, visit CAMP Rehoboth’s website.