Winter Party Festival 2012 All you’ll need for Winter Party Festival 2012 is a swimsuit, sunblock and sunglasses when you escape to the hottest winter destination in the world, Miami Beach! Join Mark’s List for one of the most fun and exciting action packed weeks of the year. The Winter Party Festival lineup features six days and nights with 9 incredible dance events and over 10,000 people from every corner of the world!
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Most recent update on this page:
Tuesday, February 21, 2012 10:22:36 PM
The countdown has begun. Leap day 2012 marks the start of
Miami’s most anticipated LGBT throw down – Winter Party. Over
10,000 international hotties (and I mean HOTTIES) will gather
for an extended weekend of mayhem, hook-ups, and standing,
posing, dancing, drinking and living out quintessential South
Beach hedonism. Best of all, this circuit scene is a party with
a cause, with ticket proceeds benefiting the National Gay and
Lesbian Task Force (read between the lines – tickets are tax
deductible).
As per usual, several rotating local venues downtown and on the
beach will transform ordinary spaces into late night party
palladiums for Winter Party. However, the host hotel pool party
on Saturday at
Kimpton’s Surfcomber Hotel (photos)
and the Sunday Beach Party (photos)
prevail as the two paramount “don’t miss” events.
Below is a mini travel guide to help you prepare for the
legendary Winter Party. Carpe diem and thank the weather gods
for some great South Beach winter sunshine!
Pillow Fights (Where to Sleep)
Dream South Beach - At just six months old,
centrally located Dream South Beach merges sexiness, eclectic
modernism, historic preservation and a bit of South Beach big
pimpin’. Dream delivers the full throttle “scene-y” beach hotel
experience within two sensationally refurbished, archetypal Art
Deco buildings and has quickly gained status as the beach’s
latest “it” hotel. The petite, seductive rooms are perfect for
pre and post parties, getting your freak on, and mentally
escaping everything familiar.
Kimpton’s Surfcomber - This art deco
beachfront landmark just got a stunning facelift, after
rebranding as a gay-friendly Kimpton property (which also comes
with added benefits of complimentary WiFi, coffee, and daily
wine hour). As the host hotel of Winter Party 2012, Kimpton’s
Surfcomber will be packed throughout Winter Party, swelling to
new proportions during the Saturday pool party. Guests should
expect summery, stylish guestrooms and a seductive backdrop for
poolside fun and after-party shenanigans. The common areas exude
classic South Beach deco sex appeal.
Lord’s South Beach – Stylish and whimsical,
Miami’s first gay-centric hotel is smack in the center of
beach’s renowned party zone and stumbling distance from
everything and anything Winter Party. Catering predominantly to
a gay male clientele, Lords is sure to have its own scene going
on during this jam-packed weekend.
Libations (Get your Drink On)
Editors note: All of the bars mentioned below have
events associated with Winter Party that you can find by
pursuing the underlined links.
Mova – This scene queen hotspot has helped
revive the South Beach glam scene with Miami’s easy-on-the-eyes
who’s who packing the house on weekends.
Palace Bar – South Beach’s only oceanfront
gay bar is a come as you are kind of place, where you can sip
cocktails and people-watch in your Speedos and tank-top. The
drag queen performances are true showstoppers. Sunday tea after
the beach party is a must!
Score - Score hit South Beach in the 90s
and hasn't looked back since. The chic dance club is always
packed and always fun.
Twist -This South Beach institution is a
massive enclave of five different gay parties, from hip-hop to
bubble gum pop to strip club. It’s where everyone ends up after
2:30am, especially if still drunk and looking for a hook up.
South Beach Essentials (Things to do Besides Party)
Art Deco – Stroll Ocean Drive, Collins Avenue, and Washington
Avenue and the perpendicular side streets to check out the
foremost examples of the art deco design movement circa 1930s
and 40s.
Gay
Beach – Between 11th and 12th Streets, down the
sands from Palace Bar, you can’t miss America’s hottest gay
beach. Look for chiseled bodies.
Nude Beach – You’ll need wheels to get 11 miles
north to Halouver Beach, but if you don’t seen enough peen
during your winter party activities, you’ll see plenty here! The
gay section of Halouver is in the northern section of the nude
beach.
People-watching - Day or night, the beautiful and eccentric,
fashionable and distasteful passing by Lincoln Road and Ocean
Drive provide endless hours of entertainment.
Gaining Girth
(Where to Break your Winter Party Diet)
Fontainebleau – The billion-dollar
Fontainebleau is about a 1.5 miles north of the Winter Party
festivities, just far enough to escape “the scene” for a few
short hours. The Fontainebleau complex is a size queen’s
fantasy, with arcades of shops and most of Miami’s best
restaurants assembled in a single area. Indeed, the complex has
reinstated the fashion novelty that placed it on the map more
than half a century ago and reminds us of a Golden Era glamour
when Elvis Presley and the Rat Pack once performed at the hotel
and partied like it was 1999 in their rooms. For great dining,
there’s lots to choose from: Gotham Steak by Michelin-star chef
Alfred Portale, Scarpetta by Scott Conant, Michelin-starred
Hakkasan from London, and Blade Sushi for those seeking lighter
fare.
Tudor House - A favorite brunch spot, this
is the place to see and be seen nibbling on your hangover food
and mimosas, an excellent place to eat through your throbbing
headache or spotting your trick from last night with his
unbeknownst boyfriend.
DJ Ana Paula
Spins
Lady Gaga at Winter Party Miami Beach
The Palace presented
Winterland Tea Dance on
Miami Beach The club is
always packed with hot guys, but this
Winter Party event filled
12th street and blocked ocean drive for
hours!
