LETTERS From CAMP Rehoboth |
In Brief |
Gay Day at DC's Hillwood Estate Museum
Few audiences celebrate the fabulous style of Hillwood Estate, Museum and Gardens and its founder, Marjorie Merriweather Post, quite like the visitors and supporters in the GLBT community. This spirit will come alive when Hillwood presents the annual fall favorite, Gay Day, on September 13 from 1 to 6 pm., followed by a film screening at sunset. DC Different Drummers, Lambda Squares, Rock Creek Singers, Straight Eights, and a host of others join in for this day of special activities and programs. For a new twist this year, Gay Day turns into night and includes a film screening. The gracious tradition of Hillwood founder and Washington socialite Marjorie Merriweather Post of opening her home to visitors for grand entertaining is the backdrop for Gay Day. Exclusive peeks into rooms in the Mansion normally not open to the public, a richly-illustrated curator-led talk about Mrs. Post's jewelry collection, and special garden tours and floral demonstrations are just some of the highlights of the celebration. Again this year, DC Lambda Squares revives one of Post's favorite traditions at Hillwood as they perform and teach about the fast pace, the group spirit and the amusing patter that makes square dancing fun for everyone. Performances by Rock Creek Singers of Gay Men's Chorus of Washington, DC and DC's Different Drummers' DC Swings! ensemble bring lively music to the mix. And Punch on the Portico, with drinks and food courtesy of Belvedere Vodka and Corcoran Caterers, Inc., is a retro social hour in the tradition of Post's garden parties on the Lunar Lawn. An art activity, "In Faberg's Workshop," and family-friendly audio tours of the Mansion provide something fun for all ages. In between performances, tours, and socializing, visitors can visit the Motor Court, which takes on its 1950s feel with a display of vintage cars courtesy of Straight Eights of the Lambda Car Club. For the first time this year, Gay Day moves into night with a film screening on the Lunar Lawn. Hillwood partners again with One in Ten to present the original 1939 film, The Women, starring Norma Shearer, Joan Crawford and Rosalind Russell, just in time for the September opening of the 2008 adaptation starring Meg Ryan, Annette Bening, and Eva Mendes. Gay & Lesbian Auto Club in Rehoboth Each September, you're at your favorite caf, enjoying the Saturday paper when you look up to find Rehoboth Avenue transformed into a sea of projectile hood-ornaments, sparkling chrome, and tail-fins in candy-store hues! During their annual weekend visit, the Straight Eights Gay and Lesbian Car Club invites the public to view Club Member's cars at a free collector car show on Saturday, September 27 from 25 p.m., at Grove Park on Rehoboth Avenue at the traffic circle. Admission to the park to view the cars is free! The Car Show at Grove Park is the main public component of the Car Club's annual "Beach Ball" Invitational Weekend (Thurs, Sept. 25 Sun., Sept. 28). Their four day event at the Atlantic Sands Hotel draws over 150 LCCI members, and nearly 100 collector cars from all along the East Coast! Referring to the popular pre-WWII engine configuration with 8-cylinders 'in-line,' instead of in a "V" shape, the ironically-named GLBT-oriented Straight Eights Car Club is the Baltimore-Washington DC Chapter of Lambda Car Club International (LCCI). With more than 28 chapters and 2,200 members, LCCI is the Nation's largest organization for GLBT automobile enthusiasts. For more information about the Car Show, or the Club in general, call 202-746-3165, or visit www.straight8s.org. Colors of Life, Going Once, Twice? One of the highlights of Sundance 2008 will be the auctioning of Murray Archibald's painting, Colors of Life, which was bought in 1998 by Tim Cabrey and re-donated to Sundance. David Nelson and Bill McManus Host Party for CAMP David Nelson and Bill McManus continued the summer tradition of opening their home to persons interested in finding out more about the new addition to the CAMP Rehoboth Community Center. As an added surprise, guests were able to help David celebrate a very special birthday. Drag Volleyball, a Labor Day Tradition on Rehoboth's Poodle Beach What better way to spend the Sunday afternoon of Labor Day weekend than witnessing and cheering on your favorite team at the annual Drag Volleyball extravaganza which takes place at 1 p.m on Poodle Beach. The beach is mobbed with spectators cheering their favorite divas as they strut their stuff. After you finish cheering, there's just enough time to clean up and head to the Convention Center for Sundance. Even UPS Pitches in to Pick-up Auction Items for Sundance Rhonda Franz, Rehoboth's favorite UPS delivery person, pulled double duty as she helped CAMP Rehoboth's Kathy Weir, Mark Owens, and Charlie Lee deliver a statute donated by Beach Essentials for the Sundance Auction. You can find out more about the auction in the CAMP Matters column. Beach Babes at LesOlympics Anne Dougherty leads the charge for her team, the U.S.A. Beach Babes, in the tug of war event at the 2008 LesOlympics at Gordon's Pond Beach in the Cape Henlopen State Park. You'll find more LesOlympics photos in CAMPshots starting on page 72. Thanks to Judy Rolfe, local freelancer and digital photography instructor for the great shots. Visit http://rolfephotography.blogspot.com to see more of Judy's work. |
LETTERS From CAMP Rehoboth, Vol. 18, No. 12 August 22, 2008 |