The Red Dress Party is an annual charity event whose proceeds go towards supporting gay youth, and helps friends, neighbors and family members living with HIV/AIDS and other serious diseases.
Oprah was there too (image courtesy of byronbeck.com)
It’s an annual event here in Portland, and in 2009 over 2000 people attended (according to their website) Sadly, No one from QPDX.com could make it, but in tried-and-true Portland DIY style, I decided to quiz one of my favourite barmen, the lovely Steve from Crush, about his experiences at this year’s Red Dress Party, and luckily he obliged me!
Steve was super excited about the event, saying that it was the fourth time he attended and that it was the most well-organized of all four parties. He emphasized the great layout, the attendance and the signage, and told me the atmosphere was fantastic. The RDP is an event Steve looks forward to all year, and told me that he heard over 300 gallons of premixed drinks were being served to thirsty patrons. He liked the location at BodyVox, and was blown away by what he described as “a sea of red”. The line to get in was apparently pretty intimidating, but it was well worth it. With 80% boys and 20% dykes and straight girls in attendance, the place was packed. Steve didn’t get to see any of the performances or shows, but he did get to dance, and told me that “It got pretty dirty and gritty toward the end,” he said, “it was a lot of fun. When I left at around 2am, the party was still going strong.” Sounds like a great event! Steve gave it an overall 8 out of 10 on the party scale. Impressive!
Thank you Steve!
