Atlanta Pride Sizzles over July 4th Weekend
There's no better way to celebrate the 4th of July than with some good 'ol Southern hospitality. Coming off New York pride, we were rested and ready to go full throttle as this year's Independence Day festivities coincided with one of the world's largest Pride celebrations: Atlanta Gay Pride.
In past years, Atlanta Pride has been held in late June, along with the cities of Chicago, Ft. Lauderdale, Houston, Minneapolis, San Francisco, Santa Fe, Seattle, Toronto, and New York (to honor the Stonewall Riots). This year, because Georgia has experienced severe drought conditions, the city was reluctant to allow major festivals in its parks this year. As a result, Atlanta Pride moved from its usual locale, Piedmont Park, to downtown's Civic Center, as well as to Independence Day weekend on calendars.
And for those who just couldn't get enough pride in one month, Atlanta gave us one more reason to keep on celebrating.
WETbar: The Ultimate Pride Destination
After a cocktail at Blakes on the Park, a free shuttle takes you to Atlanta's ultimate dancespot WETbar played host to the weekend's first party. And this extravagant nightclub destination has it all.
Whether you want to dance, talk, hang out, drink, or just chill, WETbar gives you it all and more. Multiple rooms with multiple themes, platforms, revolving stages, an outdoor garden patio, and a charming SKYbar with incredible views of the Atlanta skyline. And with the many distractions, the dancefloor couldn't be much more packed, as guest DJ Hex Hector delivered his signature house sound and superstar recording artist Kristine W treated us to a live performance. (Little known fact: Kristine W has earned more #1 Billboard hits than Madonna. And she certainly hasn't lost her charm; after her performance, Kristine W hung around outside in the WETbar patio to mingle with her fans.)
We were able to retreat to their chic VIP area, where we ran into Andrew Christian, 2xst Creative Director Jason Scarlatti, and Tango Blues Entertainment's Andrew Briskin.
The evening prior, WETbar officially kicked off Gay Pride by pulling out the runway for a 2xist Fashion Show, which featured hot models and a special guest performance by Tango Blues Entertainment diva Debby Holiday.
C2Productions Raises the Bar
While past years were marked by competing events and broken promises, event producer Chris Coleman came out on top to bring people together on the dancefloor. Working with three
top-notch venues, Coleman raised the bar, and set a new standard for party productions for years to come, delivering three pulsing events across Atlanta.
On Thursday, the Venetian Club played host to DOME with DJs Todd Skelton, Vanchronkhite and Brett Long.
Saturday's Main Event at WETbar featured Manny Lehman and it was the party to be at! By midnight, lines stretched around the block for both the main and VIP entrance.
Sunday capped off a sizzling Atlanta Pride Weekend with Tony Moran at Opera. And the boys were out in full - many from out-of-town.
Take it to the Body Shop
As if you didn't have enough, the after-hours parties were pumping at The Body Shop on 2675 Johnson Road in Atlanta.
Ever since the closing of all-night party spots like Backstreet, most of Atlanta's gay nightlife grinds to a halt each night once the city-mandated 3 a.m. closing time hits.
But, the days of partying until dawn don't have to be a distant memory. Thanks to the resurgence of SweetPillow Productions, Six10 Productions, and Griffin Productions, each Friday, Saturday, and Sunday morning at the Body Shop, there's hope for nocturnal partiers. In fact, the Body Shop can stay open as late as they and their patrons like.
The Body Shop proved the perfect place for Atlanta Pride's after-hours. With a fantastic sound system, a great line-up of DJs, and a very gay-friendly staff, the boys just kept on dancing.
Until 2009
Every event that we attended from Thursday into Saturday was packed. The locals came out en masse and there seemed to be no shortage of visitors from across the country. Pride for the bars and restaurants appeared to be a huge success despite the change in date this year.
Without question, July 4th weekend in Atlanta promises more than just fireworks... We can start looking forward to Pride 2009.
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Check out upcoming events at WETbar here: www.WETBarAtlanta.com
For more on Chris Coleman and C2Productions, visit www.C2Productions.biz