Labor Day Getaways

Cities coast to coast, and a few in between, offer three-day-weekend-filled leisure and festivities that can range from the most cultured of arts to the barest of asses
By Jason P Freeman

Long Beach, CA
About 40 minutes outside of Los Angeles, this coastal town plays host to an event that doesn't scream "Gay!" outright, but probably should---The Annual Art Deco Festival takes place on board Long Beach's biggest attraction, The Queen Mary, docked portside along Queen's Highway. Sponsored by the Art Deco Society, the festival includes an Art Deco Bazaar and Marketplace, lectures, pajama parties, a ball and even a Sunday afternoon Tea Dance. Tickets range from $20 to $700 for the full weekend which includes onboard hotel stay. www.queenmary.com

Las Vegas, NV
The desert town of lights and vice earns its Sin City-title as Perry Mann's Exotic Erotic Strippers and Hustlers Ball hits the New Orleans Arena, August 30-31. DJ-spinning dance parties till 4 a.m., rock and metal concerts, hot boys and sexy girls in stripper and hustler dress, and a stripper contest hosted by VH1 personality Heather Chadwell will make this Labor Day event the country's most sexiest and sensational. However it might be a bit too much on the straight side for the more devout homosexual partiers. Check out gayvegas.com for gayer options.

New York, NY
With New York being the biggest and most diverse theater capital in the world, visitors to The Big Apple can broaden their horizons by seeing a show, as long as it's not on Broadway. The inflated ticket prices of most major Broadway plays are best-suited for comp-ed reporters, unenlightened tourists, diehard Disney fanatics and anyone impressed by the fluff of multimillion-dollar production costs; for all others, off-Broadway is where it's at---And it just so happens that "The Marvelous Wonderettes" opens right in time for Labor Day. Showcased as a '50s-styled pop musical, the show features the Shoop-Shoop-ing antics of Betty Jean, Cindy Lou, Missy and Suzy vying against one another in be-bop fashion for the coveted crown of Springfield High School Prom Queen 1958. "The Marvelous Wonderettes" makes its off-Broadway debut following its Ovation Award-winning run in North Hollywood where, according to the show's NY rep, "critics drooled all over it." Performances start at the Westside Theater, August 29, 2008. www.marvelouswonderettes.com.

Chicago, IL
Homos on the homestead may wish to have their last hurrah at Hollywood Beach before the Park District closes it for the season following September 1. But be forewarned—-the beach is going to be bombarded with boys. Virtually every gay hangout will most definitely be muddled with men, and their doors will be met with masculine masses that line the streets for blocks, even at high occupancy-accommodating establishments like Sidetrack. Gays with aversions to crowds may wish to visit Metromix to see what the less-condensed hetero populations are up to Labor Day Weekend. The Bash on Wabash sounds nice.

Labor Day Weekend 2008 takes place across the U.S. Friday, August 29, through Monday, September 1.