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In the face of an annoying downpour, Scandals hosted one of their last major live events before the world stopped turning, their second annual turnabout. General manager Alex Amarosa emceed the event, which saw most of the audience watching from the covered area of the patio, and a few watching under umbrellas. Bar staff from neighboring bars, including The Pub in Wilton Manors, filled in for Scandals’ staff so everyone could participate. The event was on January 23.
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The Wilton Manors Stonewall Pride Parade & Festival hosted their monthly Pride Skate event at Extreme Action Park in Fort Lauderdale last Wednesday. This month’s event, called Spooky Skate, had a costume contest, with The Exorcist winning a grand-prize of $100. Local entertainer Kitty Meow hosted the contest. The event was from 7:00 p.m. to 10:00 p.m.
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Ramrod in Fort Lauderdale had their annual Mr. Ramrod contest on Sunday, October 6. The contest, which coincides with the venue’s 25thAnniversary, saw four contestants competing for the title. The contestants competed by displaying their leather “looks,” by telling a fantasy story to the audience, and by interacting with the judges. Blade Onxy was the winner of the contest; the runner up was Randy Lee. The contest was judged by five people, including the venue’s longtime manager, Kevin Wright, and Mr. Ramrod 2018, Elimination Phunzo Onxy. Bill Hoeppner was the MC.
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Hunters, in Wilton Manors, Florida, hosted a Celebrity Lip Sync battle on Thursday, September 19. The event, which saw local community leaders and entertainers perform lip sync numbers, was a benefit for the South Florida charitable organization, The SMART Ride. Local entertainer, Nicole Halliwell, was the event’s MC.
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Scandals had their first annual Mizz Scandals contest on Saturday, July 6. The event—which rivaled, if not surpassed, the Mr. Scandals’ contest in attendance—saw five queens competing for the title. The categories under question were daywear, evening wear, and presentation (which consisted of an on-stage impromptu question). At the end of it all, Savannah native Verandah Lanai was crowned the inaugural Mizz Scandals. Local entertainer Jennifer McClain and the winner of the 2019 Voice of Scandals contest, Scott Galens, each performed a couple of numbers. The contest was judged by six locals from the industry, including Shawn Palacious, A.K.A. Kitty Meow, and Miss Sharde L. Ross.
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The former restaurant/piano bar The Grille in Wilton Manor’s had their grand re-opening weekend on Friday June 28 and Saturday June 29. The venue, now re-branded as Tropics Grille—in tribute to the longstanding popular venue, Tropics, which used to occupy the same space—saw large crowds over both days. The venue will continue to have live music, and the popular two-for-one menu that Tropics used to have on Tuesday was moved to Monday. The venue was bought by the owners of the local gay country bar, Scandals Saloon.
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The pre-Stonewall kick-off party—called, Our Night Out—was at the Crystal Ballroom at The Manor last Friday. This was the event’s second year, which saw bigger crowds than the inaugural year. The event saw several pop-up performances, including various aerial acts, before the main show began. The show was headlined by Todrick Hall, and featured performances from the Gay Men’s Chorus of South Florida, as well as a dramatic recreation of stories from people who were at the Stonewall Riots. The event was co-produced by the Gay Men’s Chorus of South Florida, the Stonewall Nation Museum & Archives, and Island City Stage, and it went from 7:00 p.m. to 10:00 p.m.
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Key West had their annual gay pride celebration, called Key West Pride, last weekend. The festival saw several events throughout the weekend, including an afternoon pool party at Bourbon St. Pub with singer Pepper MaShay, a Stoli craft cocktail contest—with celebrity judges, Lance Bass, Bruce Vilanch and local celebrity, Sushi—and street vendor fair. The parade—which, in the tradition of Key West, was whimsical—was on Sunday at 5:00 p.m.
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Scandals had the finale of their first singing contest last Tuesday. The contest—which was called the Voice of Scandals—started with 12 contestants, with one contestant eliminated each week. Patrons were given one ticket per drink, even including a purchase of bottled water, and could vote for their favorite contestant. Scott Galens won the contest. The contest was co-hosted by general manger Alex Amarosa and lead entertainer Jessica Channing.
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The Miami Beach Pride VIP Gala took place on Friday the 5th in downtown Miami Beach, at the Emanuel Luxury Venue. One of the most anticipated LGBTQ events in Miami Beach, it featured ally marshals Judy and Dennis Shepard, and grand marshal Detective Juan Sanchez. DJ Adora set the mood of the event, which saw performances by Celebrity Cruises headliner Marcus Tyrell, singer Beth Sacks and a vogue performance choreographed by Randolph Ward. Not to be upstaged, Lady Bunny made a surprise appearance, running around and posing for pictures with attendees.