Category Archives: Alternative
Vintage Drag and Fashion Runway Show and Market in Highwood September 18th
The City of Highwood and Image Pilots, producers of
Chicago’s high energy, retro-spectacle Randolph Street Market Festival, will end its inaugural season with a bang. Opening its arms to the gay community on Saturday September 18th from 10 am to 6 pm, the Fest will feature a Vintage Drag and Fashion Runway Show at 12:30 pm, along with a magnificent Martini bar, fabulous food, live music and, of course, shopping.
Attracting vendors from all across the U.S., the festival brings the area’s largest monthly vintage and indie designer event to the North Shore, where shoppers will find all the best in antiques, collectibles and vintage treasures from the 1800’s to Mid-Century Modern to Punk 1980’s. Interior designers and decorators, personal shoppers and stylists can find some of the most unique items from jewelry, furniture, clothing, linens, silver, glass, and more, at this unique and eclectic upscale antique market.
“It has been great being a part of Highwood this year, and we want to make sure the gay community is aware of what this Festival and wonderful city offers,” says Sally Schwartz, founder of Image Pilots. “Highwood is a great destination for dining, entertainment and shopping, and only a Metra stop away from the City of Chicago.”
The Last 2010 Weekend
Kicks Off with Martini’s & Drag in the Park,
Saturday September 18th
“Ladies” of Chicagoland will invade Highwood and be strutting their stuff around the Highwood Street Market on Saturday September 18th. Headlining the day will be a vintage drag and fashion runway show at 12:30 pm at the Festival’s gazebo. The show will feature local drag queens modeling vendors’vintage clothing, as well as impersonation performances. Local restaurant vendors will be selling their food and YES! Vodka will provide mouthwatering martinis, all the ingredients for a perfect picnic in the park. With Highwood being an easy Metra train ride from the city, Chicago’s gay community in encourage to come up, shop around, and enjoy the show while lounging with martinis.
Antique Appraisal Tent-
The Highwood Street Market Festival brings together some 100 vendors from all over the United States, as well as local independent designers, to showcase their high-end antiques and vintage wares,including jewelry, bags, artwork and furniture. Attendees will also have the opportunity to find out the value of their antique treasures at the Antique Appraisal Tent for $5 per item.
HIGHWOOD STREET MARKET FESTIVAL GENERAL INFORMATION
WHEN: September 18th and 19th
Saturday from 10am-6pm and special extended hours on Sunday from 10am-5pm(Drag Show on Saturday only.)
WHERE: The Festival will fill the parking lots of the Highwood Library (102 Highwood Avenue)and Everts Park
PRICE: Admission is $6 and good for both days, and is free to Highwood residents with ID. Military men and woman and kids under 12 are free. Advanced discount tickets can be purchased for $5 online at Highwood Street Market .
FREE TICKETS!
BEST GAY CHICAGO.com has a LIMITED NUMBER of FREE ADDMISSION TICKETS! CALL ME NOW, IF YOU WOULD LIKE A PAIR OF FREE PASSES! 773-878-5323
PARKING: Free and ample street parking is available. Valet Parking is also available. Parking also at the Oak Terrace School is located on S. Central Avenue off Route 22.
For more information call 312-666-1200
FYI – The Randolph Street Market Festival is an internationally recognized European-style indoor and outdoor market in Chicago’s West Loop district that features more than 200 select purveyors of high quality, value-priced “finds,” offering unlimited creative inspiration and hours of shopping and entertainment. The Market is located along the 1350 block of W. Randolph Street and will take place on Sept. 25-26, Saturday 10 a.m.–5p.m. and Sunday from 10 a.m. – 4 p.m. General admission $12, good for both days. Tickets are $9 when purchased online at randolphstreetmarket.com; $5 admission for students with ID. Children 12 and under free. For more information, visit Randolph Street Market .
Mink Stole at the Chicago Premiere ALL ABOUT EVIL August 14th
Is Chicago Ready To Experience
The Whirlwind Entertainment of
ALL ABOUT EVIL:
The Peaches Christ Experience in 4-D!
With Peaches Christ and Mink Stole In-Person
Peaches Christ Productions is proud to announce the CHICAGO premiere of “ALL ABOUT EVIL: The Peaches Christ Experience in 4-D. Directed by Joshua Grannell, the alter-ego of San Francisco drag sensation Peaches Christ, this very special extravaganza will include a special appearance with MINK STOLE (Pink Flamingos, Serial Mom) and musically, macabre performances from Peaches Christ and the Midnight Mass Players. The magic begins at 12 midnight with tickets for only $13 and on-sale now at the links above.
CHICAGO PREMIERE
Saturday, August 14, 2010
The Music Box Theatre: 3733 N. Southport Ave.
Tickets: $13 Show time: 12:00 a.m.
ADVANCE TICKETS AVAILABLE NOW
ALL ABOUT EVIL is currently touring across the country, invading over 20 markets with over-the-top, “William Castle-styled” presentations and gathering rabid support from audiences hungry to experience a unique EVIL mash-up of cinema and performance. The genre-bending film, starring Natasha Lyonne and featuring Thomas Dekker, Cassandra “Elvira, Mistress of the Dark” Peterson and Mink Stole of John Waters fame, has slayed audiences with sold out screenings in Los Angeles at the Vista Theatre, Alamo Drafthouse in Austin, and Provincetown International Film Festival…and it’s just the beginning of the tour.
Gay Chicago Fun with Big Gay Brunch Club and Venga Bus Chicago
Last month we told you about a couple of Alternative and off-the-beaten-path things to do, this month we have 2 new ones for those looking for something new and different!
BIG GAY BRUNCH CLUB was formed 1 year ago by a small group of friends looking to get together over brunch at somewhere new and different. The next month, more friends joined, and the next month their friends joined in the roving brunch gathering!
The group now has over 300 friends on their FaceBook page and about 50-70 people show up at their monthly traveling brunch.
BGBC is a GLBT networking group to meet new people in the GLBT Chicago community. Keep an eye out for events and updates like brunch, wine tasting, BBQ etc.
April 25th at 1:30pm is the groups 1 year anniversary which will be at Broadway Cellars, 5900 N. Broadway, the spot where the group had their first brunch gathering!
Expect fun people, food and of course, mimosas and bloody marys!
VENGA BUS CHICAGO is another group that started by accident.
Vengabus takes Chicago’s 21 and over fun seekers on adventures!
Doug Collins who manages a local bus tour company decided to get a group of friends together, a bunch of liquor, and shuttle everyone up to LA CAGE in Milwaukee for an evening of fun!
Usually $10-$20 covers the gas and the driver and bus fee. It’s a BYOB party that plans to do possible getaways to places like Six Flags, Saugatuck and maybe even somewhere over in Indy.
Doug says to join his FaceBook page and “check out the links to our past events and watch and join our upcoming events!”
Best Gay Chicago
Gay Queer Chicago’s Alternative Scene Chances Dances and Guerrilla Gay Bar
and so is Andersonville.
But there are those who are always seeking something different. Something downtown. Something off the beaten path, something fresh and sexy…..and Chicago offers 2 alternative choices; CHANCES DANCES and GUERRILLA GAY BAR.
Chances Dances are 3 seperate party nights.
The original incarnation is held every third Monday at Subterranean,
2011 W. North Ave. Free Dance party.
Danny’s Tavern hosts “Off Chances” each second Tuesday, 1951 W. Dickens. More laid back, dive-style, dance optional. Free.
The Hideout gays it up every first Saturday, 1354 W. Wabansia. $5 Dance party.
The venues all have one thing in common: Though they are not gay bars, they are all gay-friendly venues, with drinks available on the cheap and a pretension check located just outside the door.
Chances Dances was co-founded in 2004 by Bruce Weist (pictured above, middle) and Latham Zearfross, artists who foresaw a party that would, in the words of the event’s mission, “function to bring together the varied LGBTIQ communities of Chicago.”
“Chances was a really inclusive space where a lot of different people could come together and dance to different kinds of music. We have a more relaxed and less flashy way of approaching a dance party, whereas at bigger clubs, people feel the need to dress up, spend lots of money and it’s a kind of competitive atmosphere.”
Going into their fifth year, Chance Dances continues to grow. When the parties began to generate a profit, the organizers created the Critical Fierceness Grant in 2008, a twice-yearly micro-grant awarded to queer-identified artists as an “opportunity for personal exploration, community development and radical change through art.”
“We saw a lot of people around us creating queer art and we wanted to give these artists an impetus to move their projects along,” said Rita Bacon, another Chances organizer, of the grant.
The next Chances party is at the Hideout, 1354 W. Wabansia, on Saturday March 6, featuring DJ sets from John Twatters and Nina Ramone and an interactive performance from Anthony Romero. $5 cover. GET THERE EARLY! IT FILLS TO CAPACITY!
Guerrilla Gay Bar: South Loop Chicago is a group dedicated to bring a fun bar atmosphere to the South Loop area of Chicago. Beyond this the goals are open to members and they expect them to be edited, like a wiki.
The Guerrilla Gay Bar concept has been around for about 10 years, in cities all over the US. In Chicago, a different location is chosen each month. It’s always in a straight, but gay-friendly establishment.
Events are announced about a week out. They don’t want to overwhelm an establishment or be met with an anti-gay slap in the face. “and we don’t want to promote it too heavily…” says Scott Feldman, one of the organizers. “part of the charm is mixing in the regular crowd and exposing people who normally wouldn’t be exposed to our community.” If it’s promoted too much in advance, regulars might stay away.
Their next event –
Follow them on Facebook for more details and upcoming events!
The Best of Gay Chicago
