Nearly six years ago, a group of young gay men realized something was missing from Pride: there really wasn’t an event to kick-off the weekend, and Friday remained historically inactive.
Then came the Pink Party.
It was the idea of a then-up-and-coming young politician, Robert Garcia, to create an event whose two main purposes were to raise money for an LGBT cause and offer a space for local and visiting revelers to unofficially kick off one of Long Beach’s largest events.
“I was honored to be asked to participate in planning and producing an event that would take place on Friday, the eve of Pride, and joined forces with Robert along with Miles Nevin, Jose Solache and Sergio Carillo,” said founding Pink Partier Steve Sheldon. “We quickly identified the Center Long Beach’s Mentoring Youth Through Empowerment (MYTE) program as the perfect beneficiary and got to work.”
Hopes were admittedly modest: gain some attention and support while drawing in LGBT folk and their allies while hanging out at what was then Smooth’s on Pine. Those modest hopes turned into $10K being raised for the MYTE, with hundreds of people coming out and supporting the event.
After several years of the party being hosted by the DLBA in venues ranging from the Pike below the ferris wheel to the East Village Arts District, the Pink Party takes on a whole new dimension this year, as the DLBA officially hands over the party to the LGBTQ Center. The event will take place in a parking lot at 3rd and Pacific (in other words, stumbling distance from the new Hamburger Mary’s).
“We hope that we can live up to the same success as its previous years—last year had over 1,500 attendees,” said Ron Sylvester, president and chairman of the LGBTQ Center. “But at the same time, bring a different feel to it.”
That different feel is largely dependent on the new Hamburger Mary’s, which has brought downtown its first gay bar while quickly rising as a staple for nearby residents, gay, straight or otherwise. Mary’s owner Dale Warner will be providing the Pink Party bar, and every cent will benefit the Center. Purchase of a VIP ticket include admittance to Mary’s for free following the Pink Party, where partiers can continue dancing the night away.
The party’s theme, “Rue le Cirque,” aims for a circus-like vibe where entertainers beyond the usual on-stage performances walk and meander the space to interact with partygoers. There will even be a pink costuming station for those feeling both creative and adventurous (and don’t think that body paint won’t be involved, either).
Though the party is aiming for a new feel, that doesn’t mean Jewels—who Ron dubbed “quasi-Entertainment Director” of the party—isn’t set to bring her array of Ru Paul’s Drag Race alumna to take over the main stage with the highest quality drag this side of the feather boa.
The 7th Annual Pink Party will take place on Friday May 16, 2014 at the intersection of 3rd Pacific Avenue in Downtown Long Beach. Doors are at 8:00PM. VIP admission is $25 and includes an expedited bar line, raffle ticket, and free entry into Hamburger Mary’s after the event. General admission tickets are $10. Pre-sale tickets are available online or at The Center, located at 2017 E. 4th Street. Tickets will also be available at the door on the day of the event.