Taiwan's Pingxi Lantern Festival – Once Upon a Journey
September 13, 2018 by J. Scott Coatsworth
If you are looking for magic, you should go to a sky lantern festival. Sky lantern festivals are one of the most magical things on earth. Disney dreams will come true. We can't get enough of them, so after experiencing Yi Peng in Chiang Mai, we travel to Taiwan to experience the magic of the Pingxi Sky Lantern Festival. It's one of the most spectacular happenings in Taiwan.
As it's a big happening, you would think there's a lot of information available online. Unfortunately, the resources of the Taiwan Tourism Board were limited and the blog posts we found, didn't provide us with the right transportation-information. Therefore, we end up in the wrong town. We will not let that happen to you, so here's the ultimate guide to Pingi Sky Lantern Festival!
WHY SHOULD YOU GO?
The Pingxi Sky Lantern Festival takes place once a year, usually in February or March, during the first full moon of the Lunar New Year. The festival has been named one of the 15 Festivals To Attend Before You Die and one of the Best Winter Trips. So, it's a must see! At night, thousands of lanterns float up into the night sky, and with them, so do many dreams and wishes for the new year. The lanterns are released in group releases. And it's truly like a dream come true.
WHERE SHOULD YOU GO?
So here's where it gets tricky. The festival takes place in the Pingxi district, in New Taipei City, and lantern releases are held in the towns Jingtong, Pingxi and Shifen. The biggest lantern releases are NOT held in Pingxi old town – so don't try to go there, like we did. The biggest event is in Shifen, where they set up the main stage at a parking area and is transformed into the Shifen Sky Lantern Square. It's located close to the Shifen waterfall, and only a short 15 minute walk from Shifen Station.
By Roxanne & Maartje – Full Story at Once Upon a Journey
China Gay Travel Resources
Categories Asia, China, Columnists, Festivals, Gay Travel, Once Upon a Journey Tags gay travel, lesbian travel, Pingxi Lantern Festival, Pingxi Sky Lantern Festival, taiwan Leave a comment
The 4 Most Underrated Australia Queer Events
August 26, 2017 by J. Scott Coatsworth
Wild costumes, oversized floats, film festivals and fabulous live performances – it draws a reported 500,000 spectators a year, everyone in the world knows about Sydney's annual dusk till dawn Mardi Gras party.
Though Sydney might have earned the moniker "gayest city on earth" with its festivities, for the discerning LGBT Aussie it's certainly not the only live attraction around. With that in mind, we've compiled a list of the biggest and best festivals and gatherings to keep you occupied for the whole year.
Started in Melbourne in 1989, this 3 week queer extravaganza looks to celebrate everything LGBT and more. It brings 120,000 people together every year just for its enormous opening day carnival. Consisting of hours of free music, entertainment and hundreds of stalls with plenty of food, fun, dancing and drinks – and that's just the first day!
Across the rest of three weeks you can expect to enjoy such events as the Australia Day Picnic at Forest Glade Gardens, a 50,000 strong Pride March and an LGBTIQ sports day with 17 groups competing in a variety of sports. With 150 events in total there's something for everyone from art lovers to families.
Brisbane Queer Film Festival
This is one for the movie buffs, turning 18 this year the Brisbane Queer Film Festival has long promoted queer cinema from Australia and around the world. Recognized alongside other international queer-centric festivals in Shanghai, Tokyo and Seoul, the festival runs from March 10-18th every year. The stated intent of the festival is to showcase a diverse screening of inclusive films that really reflect the modern LGBTIQ experience.
Alice Springs' Pride Carnival
The celebrations aren't just confined to major cities anymore. Relatively new to the LGBTIQ festival scene, the carnival seeks to promote sexual diversity across all the different cultures of Australia. Special focus is given to Brotherboys and Sistergirls trans communities of Aboriginals and Torres Strait Islanders that have existed long before European settlers came to Australia.
The weekend long September festival includes art exhibitions, a fair day, travelling performers, a dog show and stalls amongst many other attractions. So if you're in the Northern Territories, now is the perfect time to check it out.
On the books since 1997 Adelaide's premier event for LGBIT causes, Feast Festival is a worthy entry on our list. Remarkably, it is counted as the third biggest queer festival in the country. The extravaganza was headlined last year by pop idol Danii Minogue and takes place over 2 weeks, centred on the Raj House in Adelaide's East End. The festival is very arts-centric with theatre and fringe performances occurring throughout, alongside dances and the obligatory bombastic carnival. The festival also plays host to important forums for discussion of queer issues and culture, for the heady types amongst you.
While these are some of the bigger festivals that have drawn our interest, they're far from the only game in town. Pride events in Perth and the Chillout Festival in Victoria are just a few more that escaped the attentions of this list; however you can keep up with all the latest gay festival news on sites like emen8.com.au amongst others.
Whatever kind of festivity suits your style it's clear that Australia has a variety of parties and events for every taste. So pack your bags, body glitter and costumes because this year is going to be a real celebration.
Categories Australia, Circuit Parties, Events, Festivals, Film Festivals, Gay Pride, Gay Travel, South Pacific Tags Australia, gay, Midsumma Festival, queer events Leave a comment
Pink Dot is Back in Hong Kong
October 6, 2016 by J. Scott Coatsworth
Over 10,000 people turned up in pink at Pink Dot Hong Kong, the city's LGBTI festival and largest diversity event, to celebrate diversity and love equality on Sunday. Co-organized by BigLove Alliance and Pink Alliance, and supported by Covenant of the Rainbow, the third edition of the annual event was held this year at Hong Kong's West Kowloon Nursery Park. Organisers chose a different venue this year, as compared to the first two years at the city's Tamar Park, in order to 'accommodate more activities for everyone, young and old'. This year's event was also largely supported by various entertainers, celebrities, corporate sponsors and diplomats – and was officiated by the Equal Opportunities Commission, an independent statutory body which commissioned a study last year to look into the need for anti-discrimination legislation on the grounds of sexual orientation, gender identity and intersex status.
Categories Asia, China, Festivals, Gay Travel, Hong Kong Tags Asia, china, gay travel, hong kong, pink dot Leave a comment
Bears in Sitges
Easily the biggest gathering of bears in Europe, the annual Bears Week in Sitges drew to a close yesterday after ten days (2-11 September) of furry frolics on the Spanish coast. Sitges Bears Week attracts over 5,000 gay guys during the course of its festivities, and – if anything – is becoming too busy for some return visitors. Hotels and guesthouses get pre-booked months in advance. The majority of visitors are from Europe, but a US bears cruise began docking at the town last year and returned again this year, boosting the US contingent.
By David Hudson – Full Story at Gay Star News
Catalunya Gay Travel Resources
Categories Bears, Europe, Festivals, Gay Travel, Sitges, Spain Leave a comment
Women's Week In Provincetown
Summer may be officially ending but the fun is just beginning in Provincetown. The historically gay and lesbian mecca on the tip of Cape Cod, Massachusetts, has enjoyed a beautiful and rainbow-festooned summer, including appearances from legendary LGBT performers, and even a visit by Hillary Clinton and Cher. And now it's gearing up for even more femme-forward festivities! Aside from the general pleasure of strolling Commercial Street hand-in-hand with your love, there are some big events to put in your calendar. The 32nd Annual Women's Week In Provincetown is now the longest-running women's cultural festival in the country. This year the Festival runs from October 7 through October 16. Mary Lambert and Our Lady J round up the lineup of superstars who will perform in a benefit concert for Cyndi Lauper's True Colors Fund, which aims to alleviate LGBT youth homelessness. The closing night concert will be followed by an exclusive Rainbow Party and is one of several events produced by the Women Innkeepers of Provincetown. The entire Women's Week will be a star-studded celebration of culture and community with Kate Clinton, Lily Tomlin, Karen Williams, Vickie Shaw, Julie Goldman, Suzanne Westenhoefer, Poppy Champlin, Jennie McNulty, Cameron Esposito, Rhea Butcher, Cris Williamson, Susan Werner, Suede, Zoe Lewis, Laura Zucker, and more performing. Sporty dykes are not left out, with events that include pickup basketball, an annual golf tournament, and Kate Clinton's always-riotous Touch Football Classic.
By Merryn Johns – Full Story at Curve
Provincetown Gay Travel Resources
Categories Festivals, Lesbian Travel, Massachusetts, Provincetown, USA Tags cape cod, festival, lesbian travel, massachusetts, provincetown, Women's Week Leave a comment
Chalk it Up – Sacramento
September 5, 2016 by J. Scott Coatsworth
Fremont Park in Sacramento is playing host this weekend to a cool art event – Chalk it Up brings together a bunch of chalk artists to create their masterpieces, and runs for the full three day weekend. We stopped by yesterday to check it out. About half the art pieces were finished, and it was fascinating to see the artists working on the others, some from mental pictures, some from props, and some from photos laid out on a grid. This is a cool little community park in an up and coming part of Sactown, with not one but two local coffee chains on the park – Naked Coffee has a cool little retro cafe on the southwestern corner, while Insidght just opened on the ground floor of the gorgeous new eco friendly 16 Powerhouse Apartments on the East Side. You can also stop into Magpie or Hot Italian for lunch. The park is filled with vendors too – our fave? Driftwoods Clothing, which does shirts for many of Sacramento's diverse little neighborhoods. If you are in the Sacramento area and have time today, stop by and see this festival before it ends. Some of our favorite art is below.
Sacramento Gay Travel Resources
Chalk it Up Website
Categories California, Festivals, Sacramento, USA Tags art, california, Chalk it Up, festival, gay travel, sacramento Leave a comment
Photos from the Dinah Vegas – Lesbian Travel
Palm Springs, Calif., may be the city most associated with the legendary Dinah Shore festival (so called for a golf tournament bearing the entertainer's name), the annual gathering of lesbians seeking sun and fun. But for the past five years, Las Vegas has hosted its own Dinah gathering. This year's Dinah Vegas — which wrapped Sunday and took place at the Rio, Tropicana, Flamingo, Linq, and Luxor resorts — was another rousing success, according to founder Sandy Sachs.
Full Story at The Advocate
Nevada Gay Travel Resources
Image: DinahVegas/LittleRoomStudio]]>
Categories Events, Festivals, Las Vegas, Lesbian Travel, Nevada, USA Tags Dinah Vegas, las vegas, lesbian travel, nevada Leave a comment
The Dinah Was Awesome This Year (With Pics)
WELCOME to The Dinah — the world's biggest lesbian festival where more than 20,000 women meet every year for pool parties alongside celebs like Lady Gaga and Katy Perry. These outrageous pictures from inside the Palm Springs party show thousands of bikini clad revellers enjoying the Florida sun, booze and debauchery. Almost everyone at the party — where 'flashing is normal' — is female. The five-day mega event, Club Skirts Dinah Shore Weekend, is the largest female festival in the world attracts celebrity fans and performances by Katy Perry and The Pussycat Dolls.
Full Story at the Sun
Palm Springs Gay Travel Resources
Categories California, Events, Festivals, Lesbian Travel, Palm Springs, USA Tags lesbian travel, palm springs, the dinah Leave a comment
France's First Gay Carnival – Nomadic Boys
March 30, 2016 by J. Scott Coatsworth
Feather boas…glitter…cray cray make up…sexy topless men… This is Lou Queernaval, France's first gay carnival and part of the famous Nice Carnival. We spent 3 days dancing and partying through the streets of the city celebrating Lou Queernaval clad in our medieval outfits. The carnival originated in the Middle Ages as a festival authorised by the church, allowing anyone wearing a mask to safely ridicule those in power. Anyone without a mask got flogged with stockings filled with flour. This is the time of year when Christians go crazy with overindulgence, eat loads of meat, fatty foods and party like mad before the 40 days of fasting for Lent begins.
By Stefan Arestis – Full Story at the Nomadic Boys
Southeastern France Gay Travel Resources
Categories Columnists, Europe, Events, Festivals, France, Gay Travel, Nomadic Boys Tags carneval, carnival, france, gay, Lou Queernaval, nice Leave a comment
No Pink Party in the Castro This Year
San Francisco Supervisor Scott Wiener confirmed Thursday that there will be no Pink Party in the city's gay Castro district the Saturday before the annual LGBT Pride parade. Following a March 17 meeting with key stakeholders, Wiener told the Bay Area Reporter that there will be no street closures this year. In previous years, the streets were closed for the unofficial party. The Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence had produced what was known as Pink Saturday for nearly two decades. Last year, however, the Sisters decided to end their oversight of the street party due to escalating violence. A sister and his husband were attacked in 2014, while Stephen Powell, 19, died after being shot toward the end of the party in 2010.
By Cynthia Laird – Full Story at the BAR
San Francisco Gay Travel Resources
Categories California, Events, Festivals, Gay Travel, San Francisco, USA Tags gay pride, gay travel, Pink Party, san francisco Leave a comment