Halloween is rapidly becoming one of the top parties in New Orleans, with some locals putting it on par with Mardi Gras in terms of activity. The Big Easy’s notoriety for all-night partying, lack of open-container laws, and eerie voodoo lore easily make this one of the top destinations for a wild weekend, and when you throw in a 4-day gay event extravaganza…let’s just say this is the best place to come for gay Halloween!
Project Lazarus is a local charity that facilitates life for those with AIDS who can no longer live independently. Halloween has been one of its primary fundraisers for many years, and it’s become crystal clear that, in this 27th iteration, the Project Lazarus Halloween is tops in the gay nation.
There are four events organized each year, starting on the Thursday before Halloween and ending the day after. Each event has an open bar, ensuring that everyone is going to feel good getting down.
On the first night, there is the annual black-tie Gala and Silent Auction. Never forget that even though this is the Big Easy, they know how to dress up – formal wear is part and parcel of life here, so look sharp and make nice with local gays.
The second night, Friday, hosts the warm-up party. Every year is different, but for Halloween 27, they packed over 1,000 people into the House of Blues in the French
Quarter. The party goes late, but most folks head out around 1am to St. Anne and Bourbon crossroads to join the pre-Halloween revelry.
The big event is Saturday night, one of the biggest circuit parties on the yearly calendar. This is a costume-mandatory event, keeping all the costume agnostic home and
a costume contest encourages many extraordinarily creative group costumes – the Hooters “girls” of NOLA, anyone? The open bar lubricates the dance floor, and packs ‘em in at the cavernous warehouse space at Mardi Gras World. The VIP area is a faux-outdoor patio, and with it’s multiple extra bars, snack food and real bathrooms, is worth the splurge.
You don’t have to go to Project Lazarus’ Halloween if you are in NOLA for the festivities, but you’d be missing out on an unforgettable gay-tastic time if you didn’t.