Thursday, June 11
Project Empty Bowl
Project Empty Bowl has been raising funds since the late 1990s to help A Loving Spoonful deliver free meals and nutritional counselling to people with HIV/AIDS. Tonight you can do your part and help them reach their goals. 6:30pm. Coast Coal Harbour Hotel, 1180 West Hastings St. Tickets $100 and more information at alovingspoonful.org.
Saturday, June 13
Naked Bike Ride
If the naked body offends or scares you then downtown Vancouver is not the place for you today. Hundreds of cyclists of all ages and sizes will ride nude in a celebration of creativity and individuality while protesting against car culture and oil spills. Yours truly will be there in spirit but not partaking in practice, as the vibration on the seat will set off a chain reaction so intense that part of me could be used as a flag pole and I am not sure the ride has its own flag. Cyclists meet at noon for body painting. Ride starts at 2pm. Sunset Beach, 1204 Beach Ave. More info here on Facebook.
Miss WESA Beauty Pageant 2015
Do baseball and beauty go together? Just ask the West End Softball Association, as each team enters a candidate to represent their group. Yes, there are swimsuit, performance and skill-testing question portions to the show. And did I mention it is all in drag, sometimes featuring people doing drag for the first time? I may need a few drinks for this one! Seriously though, it’s an amazing night of fun and in the past 27 years WESA has raised over $100,000 for various local charities. 7-10pm. Celebrities, 1022 Davie St. Tickets $20 at Little Sister’s, 1238 Davie St. More information at wesa.net.
Scruff Invades Vancouver
I admit it openly: I am a Scruffy, an app-holding member of Scruff. Now, after all those nights of messaging the headless torsos, being blocked by the guy next door or saying, “oh, yeah, I get to LA all the time, let’s swap pics,” tonight is redemption. Wipe the lube off your phone and check out all those men you have lusted over in person. Maybe bring a few “blocked” labels in case you need them. And for the diehard searchers, use your app to see how many metres away the object of your nightly lust is standing. 10pm-3am. Club 560, 560 Seymour St. Advance tickets $20 at Little Sister’s, 1238 Davie St, and Top Drawer, 809 Davie St or at bigrogerevents.com.
Sunday, June 14
Italian Day
I tend to shy away from The Drive. I’m not a student, not alternatively minded, not a lesbian, don’t wear other people’s clothes (aka “vintage”), and most of all I don’t believe a crystal can rid my ripe pits of smell. But for Italian Day I will have to put that all aside as Little Italy has some of the best Italian food in the city. Thirteen blocks of the street come alive with food, music, dancing, fashion and activities, along with this year’s theme, Italian art. Architecture, painting, sculpture, music, cinema, culinary and more will be celebrated. 12-8pm. Venables St to the Grandview Cut. italianday.ca
Monday, June 15
MVK: Newbie Munch
Although it seems like eons ago, the first time I was tied up and edged — in between a bit of flogging to my then-muscled ass — was amazing. An experience that, when later told to a group of friends at the bar, was met with wide-eyed stares and a “WTF is wrong with you?” expression. Thankfully newbies now have Metro Vancouver Kink hosting a casual dinner gathering in a public place that allows new and seasoned people alike to get together in a low-pressure environment and gush about new experiences or answer any questions about play parties, how to dress, how to act or even just what to expect. 6:30-8:30pm. Tipper Restaurant, 2066 Kingsway. More info here on Facebook.
Tuesday, June 16
Women4Women Speed Dating 35+
If you are younger than 35 but prefer the company of women over 35, you are more than welcome. Plus there is the option to match for either friendship or romance, so all bases are covered. 7-10pm. Lux Lounge, 1180 Howe St. Tickets $25 advance here. For information here on Facebook.
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