Can we all say GAY!?! Can we show PRIDE!?! Can we celebrate LIFE!?! Yes we can and we will and we won’t be silenced, shunned, nor stopped. Now, more than ever, those of us that live here and visit here need to speak up and be present. No matter what comes down the shaft from Tallahassee (located in an area of Florida we all unaffectionately refer to as Southern Georgia), the tip of Florida will always be gay Gay, GAY and proud, Proud, PROUD of it.
With Fort Lauderdale and Wilton Manors arguably being the epicenter of LGBTQ life in Florida (Pride Fort Lauderdale has served the community for over 45 years) and with Palm Beach holding its 30th year of PRIDE and Miami Beach flying the PRIDE Flag for the past 15 years, Southern Florida knows how to embrace, celebrate, and live LGBTQ.
Here are just some of the events you can help us celebrate when you are visiting “Just The Tip” this March and April.
Florida AIDS Walk & Music Festival – March 18
The annual Florida AIDS Walk & Music Festival hits Fort Lauderdale Beach and welcomes once again Flo Rida to headline the entertainment section of the day. DJ Citizen Jane will warm up the crowd.
AIDS Healthcare Foundation (AHF) produces the event and is an important one for this part of the nation as South Florida remains an epicenter for new HIV infections. AHF’s Imara Canady says bringing Flo Rida back helps to spread the message much further than just the LGBTQ Community ad having someone like FLO Rida helps “spread awareness and to attract an audience that needs to be educated and create emphasis around the epidemic. People think, because there have been such advances in medicine and science, that HIV and AIDS isn’t a thing anymore.”
This year’s goal of $1.5M has already been surpassed, with one team raising more than $290k, but more funds are always needed. If you’re interested in attending, walking, being entertained, check-in begins at 8 a.m., DJ Citizen Jane starts spinning at 9 a.m, the walking starts at 10 a.m., and Flo Rida hits the stage at 11:30 a.m.
Here’s a recap of last year’s event.
For more event details and how to participate, visit FloridaAIDSWalk.org.
Flockfest – March 19
We’ve talked about FlockFest before in a post ‘What the Flock is FlockFest? 30+ Pics To Get You In the Flocking Mood‘.
FlockFest all started in 2014 when Steven Crawford invited some friends to the beach. “I contacted a bunch of friends for a fun time at the beach, told them to bring swan floats and be prepared for a great time”, Crawford shares. And that is how FlockFest was born.
That first gathering was just a small group of 60 people and 30 floats. Now the event has grown to over 500 floats, 400 VIPs, and several thousand more attendees that participate outside in the event area on the beach.
But now FlockFest is more than just one event per year. From a single beach party has risen multiple events to include pool parties, Santa Sip ‘n’ Strut, toy drives and more that help to raise funds for multiple charities in the area. We’re looking forward to the next event on the calendar, FlockFest Splash on March 19th, one of the many Splash events scheduled for 2023. Here’s a link to a Splash promo video that is apparently rated as adult content on YouTube.
And if you want to see some other pics from past FlockFest Splash events, here’s one that was just last month.
Palm Beach Pride – March 25 & 26
Celebrating its 30th year, Palm Beach County’s premiere LGBTQ+ Pride Festival, Palm Beach Pride, will be returning to Bryant Park in Lake Worth Beach, FL. It will be on March 25 & March 26, 2023 from 12pm to 6pm both days. The Palm Beach Pride Parade will take place on March 26, 2023 at 11am on Lake Avenue in Downtown Lake Worth Beach.
The 2023 Palm Beach Pride Parade Grand Marshal is an actress, comedian, and performer Cassandra Cass, who has appeared in the GLADD Award Winning Reality Show “STRUT”. She has appeared in numerous series and TV shows such as CSI Las Vegas, WILD Things, Entertainment Tonight, Tyra Banks Show, and many more! Cassandra also appeared in the award-winning documentaries “TRANTASIA” & “WHAT’S the T?”
Miami Beach Pride – May 31 – April 16, 2023
Two weeks of pride events in Miami Beach? Sign us up! We will most definitely be there at pride this year as we were the many years before. The parade was just right with participants and elapsed time, the Miami April heat made us glisten, and fun was had by all.
We’ve seen Miami Beach Pride grow and grow this year to a great celebration spanning 17 days offering many different events for the varied queer community to enjoy. Miami Beach Pride organizers have actually celebrated and raised funds with multiple events throughout the year.
There are a ton of events over the 17 days of Miami Beach Pride from a Pride Flag Raising Ceremony and Pride Lights the Night Flip the Switch Event on March 31, Fun Dip by Sweet Spot Official Kickoff Pool Party at The Clevelander on April 1, Miss Miami Beach Pride Pageant on April 4, 2023 at 7 p.m. EST, Queer Art Showcase on April 10, VIP Beach Affair on April 14, Miami Beach Pride Festival on April 15 and 16, and the Miami Beach Pride Parade on Ocean Drive on April 16. For all of the events and their times, places, stars, head over to the Miami Beach Pride Events page. You’ll find out where to see entertainers like Shangela, Sandra Bernhard, Jonathan Bennett & Jaymes Vaughan, Todrick Hall, Inaya Day, Albita Rodriguez, and more.
There will be many popping in and out of Florida for these next two months. There’s always fun things going on here in “Just the Tip.” We need to be seen, be present, be alive, and be vocal, vote, and stand up for ourselves. Let’s do all of that while having a great time!
Whoops – We Missed One!
Unfortunately I had a houseful of family these past two weeks so I missed out on one of the larger events Southern Florida hosts each year. It has come and gone, but fun was had by all. Put this event on your calendars for next year and come see us for Winter Party 2024.
Winter Party Festival 2023 – was March 1 – 7
Another event turned 30 years young this year. As part of the year-long 50th anniversary celebration of the National LGBTQ Task Force, Winter Party Festival 2023 will return to Miami Beach from March 1 – 7. Winter Party Festival is an annual dance and music festival with a week-long series of events benefiting the local and national LGBTQ community. The festival is a celebration of community, produced by the Task Force to raise critical funds for the LGBTQ movement and will feature a diverse mix of people, music, and entertainment. Winter Party Festival brings in over ten thousand attendees annually, with twelve signature events and twelve international DJs hosted in seven exhilarating world-class Miami Beach venues. LIVE FREE. PLAY HARD. GIVE BACK.
Founded in 1994, Winter Party Festival is a safe haven for the LGBTQ and allied community to celebrate and live freely. The National LGBTQ Task Force donates a significant portion of the proceeds raised at Winter Party and its sister event, the National LGBTQ Task Force Gala, to like-minded community advocacy groups in South Florida through the LGBTQ+ Equity Fund, a philanthropic collaboration between the Task Force, Our Fund, and The Miami Foundation. Since 2005, the Task Force has given back more than $3.3 million and supported over 90 community organizations in South Florida and will directly fund social justice causes locally and nationally. Winter Party brings nearly $4.2M in revenue to Miami, supporting over 800 local jobs in hospitality, food & beverage, retail, recreation, and entertainment.
Sources: SFGN.com ,
Let’s make every state gayer & gayer 🌈🌈🌈🌈