Halloween In Gay New Orleans, Ready-Set-GO!
Always a town that goes its own way, New Orleans continues its post-Katrina tourism bounceback in spite of the economic downturn. This past February saw Mardi Gras crowds reach pre-Katrina attendance levels of over a million for the first time since 2005. Meanwhile, the city has been selected to host the 2013 Superbowl, marking the tenth time the NFL championship will be held here; the United States’ largest international art biennial was inaugurated here in November 2008, filling 24 venues around the city for two months; and the Crescent City’s hotels, restaurants, festivals, and attractions continue to open anew and refresh old traditions with a gregarious, wide-eyed optimism that sets a good example for visitors needing a few days’ escape from what ails them.
This fall’s most intense party weekend will no doubt be from Thursday, October 29 through Sunday, November 1 as Halloween is second only to Mardi Gras as a time for New Orleanians to dress up, strip down, and let loose. With All Hallow’s Eve falling on a Saturday this year, the masquerade will be all the wilder.
To chat up the locals and plan out your weekend itinerary, start things off at one of the newest, friendliest gay bars in town, The 700 Club, which honestly bills itself as “calmer, cleaner, and classier” than much of New Orleans’ down-and-dirty scene (700 Burgundy St. Tel: 504-561-1095. www.700clubneworleans.com). Then, round the corner to the raucous Halloween scene at NOLA’s gay vortex, the intersection of Bourbon and St. Ann Streets, where dance clubs Bourbon Pub Parade (801 Bourbon St. Tel: 504-529-2107. www.bourbonpub.com) and Oz (800 Bourbon St. Tel: 504-593-9491. www.ozneworleans.com) face one another across a street-full of costumed partiers.
The not-to-be-missed Halloween event for gay visitors is the Saturday night Twisted Seasons extravaganza, the 26th annual masked mega-party benefiting Project Lazarus, which provides housing and 24-hour support services for people with AIDS who can no longer live independently. You’ll be welcome in even the simplest of costumes, but prepare to be blown away by the creative spirit of the locals who go all-out with their get-ups. Information, tickets, and links to fabulous photos of past years’ festivities are at www.halloweenneworleans.com.Montreal Police Say Gay Nightclub Fire Was ArsonNew Club Heats Up Nashville's Gay Scene (Strippers Wanted)
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