Bisbee Gay Pride

Tony Ray Baker
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Bisbee Gay Pride
Bisbee gay pride
Be Sure to Celebrate Bisbee Gay Pride Later This Month, June

Every year on Father’s Day weekend, the Arizona LGBT community and Straight Allies gather in the adorable little town of Bisbee to celebrate their pride. Come along with me on one such adventure, and be sure to catch the next incarnation of Bisbee Gay Pride!

When and Where is Bisbee Gay Pride?

Get to Bisbee by driving South on I-10 and taking a right on Highway 80 in Benson. From Tucson, it’s a little over 1.5 hours, 47 if you’re coming from Benson. Gay Pride Weekend corresponds with Father’s Day Weekend, occurring on the third weekend in June. It may seem like a long way to go, but a bunch of your friends from Tucson will be there and it really is one of the better parties of the year!

What Can I Expect at Bisbee Gay Pride?

There are so many things to do and ways to celebrate in Bisbee and the surrounding area, but what follows is my tried-and-true method for having a great time at Bisbee Gay Pride.  We call this The Move.

The Move starts at a quaint little bed and breakfast on Friday night. Try the Copper Queen Hotel or the Bisbee Grand, you’ll love either place.  I highly recommend locating yourself around the Main St. part of town. That is where all the action is and you don’t want to have to drive back to your hotel room after a full night of partying.  The drunken stumble back to your bed is a quintessential part of The Move.

What’s Next For The Move?

The Move is to then walk the crowded, action-packed streets, observing the myriad booths and vendors set up for the weekend.  The streets fill up on both Friday and Saturday with live music, so be sure to get your groove on!  The town blocks off the roads from car access around the Copper Queen, so begin there and meet up with all of your friends.

The next Move is to head across the street to the Underground Dance Party.  I would tell you where to go, but it’s better for you to just head down and discover for yourself.  Dance to some high-energy dance music and have a few cocktails, powering you up for what’s next!

The Move then takes you on a club crawl, guided by a drag queen carrying a high heel on a stick.  You’ll be heading from bar to bar, effectively getting a crash course in Downtown Bisbee.  As you reach the end of the pubs, the MC will organize the flock into a Drag Race.

No, not the type you’re thinking of, this race consists of your drunken friends, wearing dresses and high heels, and running up a small hill.  Cue the ankle tape and the ice packs!  It’s a hilarious time for all involved and will truly punctuate your time at Bisbee Gay Pride.

See You Next Year!

Still not convinced? Bisbee Gay Pride is an awesome time with your best friends in a wonderful little town. There are some fun activities that I have never seen anywhere else, making Bisbee Gay Pride a one-of-a-kind event.  It’s just a short drive South to have an amazing weekend and you’ll even see Darren and I on the club crawl.  See you next year!

Have a great day,
TonyRay 🙂

La Fiesta De Los Osos

Tony Ray Baker
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La Fiesta De Los Osos
Fiesta De Los Osos
Fiesta De Los Osos

Winter has traditionally been the time for bears around the world to hibernate.  In Tucson, however, our bears do things a bit differently.   Join Bears of the Old Pueblo each year in the early January to celebrate Fiesta De Los Osos!  This once-a-year party is an incredible opportunity to make some new friends while you explore our amazing city!

Going on for almost 20 years, Fiesta De Los Osos has brought over 3,000 bears and buddies from around the world to enjoy the heat and friendliness of our desert town.  In fact, it has become one of the largest and most anticipated Bear events in the country!

At each event, you can expect to find hundreds of fun, interesting bears to meet. creating La fete weekend one among the foremost anticipated bear events within the U.S.! As such, BOTOP decided to cap their attendance at 300 Bears, creating a fun and intimate experience for everyone. Get your tickets early to make sure you get a spot!

Tucson Gay Pride 2014

Tony Ray Baker
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Tucson Gay Pride 2014
What: Pride On Parade When: Saturday, October 11 2014 6:00 PM. Where: Starts at Catalina Park on 2nd St. and Goes Down 4th Ave. to 8th St. Admission: All we ask is that you participate! Official Website: Tucson Pride Parade Over the past 14 years the Tucson Pride Parade has grown to become a central part of the Tucson Gay Pride celebration.  2014 promises to take the event to the next level!  Pride on Parade will begin at Catalina Park on 2nd St. at 6:00 PM on Saturday, October 11th.  We will proceed to 4th ave. and take a right, leading to our destination on 4th and 8th St. The most important thing is to get involved.  The focus of Pride on Parade is to allow everyone to be themselves, some come have a blast with us at the block party at the end of the parade! Thats right, this year the Tucson Pride Parade has joined with Sky Bar to provide a Block Party from 7pm to 9pm.  It’ll be the best place to grab a drink after the long parade march ; )
What: Tucson Pride In The Desert When: Saturday, October 18th 2014 Where: Kino Sports Complex. Admission: $10.00 at the door. VIP Tickets available online at http://tucsonpride.org/. Tucson Pride presents it’s 37th Annual LGBTQ Pride Festival . $50. VIP. Advance tickets can be bought on-line at http://tucsonpride.org/ Advance purchase tickets can be picked up at the will-call table at the entrance on the day of the event. Details to come shortly, book the date and plan on a great time!

Wingspan Dinner

Tony Ray Baker
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Wingspan Dinner
Moving Forward
The Wingspan Annual Benefit Dinner
September 20, 2008
Wingspan’s Benefit Dinner – 20 years on September 20th
 
This years event was very well done.  The silent auction was well organized and a great time to catch up and socialize.  The appetizers (cheese, fruits and veggies) looked beautiful and there were plenty of bars so very small lines if any.   The dinner tables looked great (see photos below) and so did the room. The centerpieces were beautiful and in hindsight I wish I had bought one.   Jason Cianciotto, the new Executive Director of Wingspan, gave a strong and meaningful speech.  I took a photo of him on the big screen (see below).  I have had the pleasure of meeting Jason several times before the dinner and I am definitely impressed and excited to see what changes he will bring.  Personally, I think Jason is just what Wingspan needs to move forward. 
 
Tony Ray

SAAF AIDSWALK

Tony Ray Baker
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SAAF AIDSWALK
 AIDSWALK Tucson
Get ready to bust out those cross-trainers, ’cause this will be the BIGGEST AIDSWALK yet… in Tucson at least. This year AIDSWALK has teamed up with Tucson Meet Yourself (TMY) and has moved downtown for a three day event.
 
AIDSWALK is such a fun and beautiful event that has become one of my favorites. If you’ve never experienced AIDSWALK, then I highly recommend you come join us.
 
What is AIDSWALK?  AIDSWALK is a family and pet-friendly walkathon fundraiser with the goal of increasing awareness and support for people living with or affected by HIV/AIDS. The money raised at AIDSWALK Tucson benefits the Southern Arizona AIDS Foundation (SAAF). Each year SAAF provides services to nearly 1200 people living with HIV and AIDS and delivers targeted prevention outreach and education programs to over 17,000 people who are high-risk for infection.
 
This year is a special year for AIDSWALK. Because of its collaboration with Tucson Meet Yourself, AIDSWALK will have exposure to over 100,000 people! This is a great opportunity to help raise awareness and fight the dangerous stigma that still surrounds HIV/AIDS today.
 
For more information on AIDSWALK and how you can participate, please fisit AIDSWALKTucson.org.

Tucson Gay Pride 2008

Tony Ray Baker
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Tucson Gay Pride 2008
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