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Spring 2009
Saint Paddy’s Day in Chicago begins with the dyeing of the Chicago river at 10:45 AM on March 14. See this emerald wonder from on board one of Shoreline Sightseeing’s special St. Patrick’s Day lunch cruises or from an upper level bridge at Michigan Avenue or Columbus Drive.
Two legendary parades mean twice as many reasons to take it to the streets. On March 14, the downtown Chicago 2009 Saint Patrick’s Day Parade steps off at noon at Balbo and Columbus and proceeds north. The next day, the popular South Side Irish Saint Patrick’s Day Parade – which will celebrate its 30th anniversary with an expected crowd of 250,000 spectators – begins its great march at noon Sunday, March 15, at 104th and Western.
Spend Saturday night toasting the holiday at a great Irish restaurant or pub. Join revelers at Spin, sofo bar, Hydrate, Sidetrack, Touché, Big Chicks, Star Gaze, The Closet, Joie de Vine, or another of the city’s great GLBT-friendly clubs.
Or start a new tradition by looking for the fabled pot ‘o’ gold. Two great places to try your luck are nearby Horseshoe Casino and Blue Chip Casino. Return to Blue Chip March 20 to hear The Irish Tenors.
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Fair Leather Friends
 Chicago will again be the epicenter for all kinds of leather folk - from the experienced to the curious - during International Mr. Leather 2009 (IML).
Some 50-60 of the world’s hottest leathermen plus a diverse crowd of thousands of attendees from around the globe will gather in the city May 21-25 for the 31st anniversary of this spectacular event. Most IML activities will happen at the landmark Hilton Chicago which has reserved a block of hotel rooms for the event.
Last year, when Gary Iriza bested a field of 51 contestants to capture the title of International Mr. Leather 2008, IML attracted a record-shattering 16,000 visitors. Mr. Iriza will be among the judges for this year’s competition.
This annual tradition for members of the leather community - considered by many to be the Leather Family Reunion – will also feature the International Mr. Bootblack Competition and the Leather Market. Sunday evening’s IML Victory Celebration will take place at House of Blues, and Monday night’s Black and Blue Ball at Excalibur will close out the weekend.
For complete details, check out the IML 2009 event schedule.
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Loaded For Bear
Members of the global “Bear” community will do Chicago proud when they gather in May for the 15th annual Bear Pride Weekend.
“BP15 – It’s all about Chicago” – running concurrently with International Mr. Leather (see related IML article) – will place special emphasis on the history of Chicago as a major destination for GLBT visitors.
Sponsored by Great Lakes Bears-Chicago, one of the oldest “Bear” organizations in the U.S., BP15 will feature BEAR games, Grab-n-Growl breakfasts and other activities at Crowne Plaza Hotel Chicago-Metro and the Mr. Bear Pride contest at Double Door. Manhandler Saloon, Jackhammer, Touché, Sidetracks, Steamworks, and other locations will host dances, parties, and such special events as the Boystown Barcrawl.
Get the full scoop at BP15 event schedule.
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Instant Gratification
Before he became one of America’s most renowned – and controversial - contemporary photographers, Robert Mapplethorpe learned to see photographically using a Polaroid camera to capture images he planned to incorporate into his paintings. More than 90 of these early instant photographs are part of an amazing exhibit at Northwestern University’s Mary and Leigh Block Museum of Art.
Taken between 1970 and 1975, the pictures in Polaroids: Mapplethorpe, the museum explains, “anticipate the themes and subjects of Mapplethorpe's later work…with a spontaneity and immediacy that is inherent to instant photography.” Mapplethorpe, who died of complications from AIDS at the age of 43, is remembered for “his classically-inspired images of nudes (often in sexually explicit poses), floral still lifes, and portraits of artists and celebrities.”
This special exhibition runs through April 5.
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