The non-stop action, the house-packed crazy wild Pool Parties, the sexiest Go-Go dancers, the best DJs, the spectacular entertainment, the celebrities, plus the hottest girls in the world, The Dinah has enough to make any girls’ head spin!

The world’s largest girl party/music festival will turn Palm Springs into the ultimate entertainment hub delivering a spectacular slate of legendary headliners, rising pop stars, and lesbian TV celebrities.

Emceed by E!’ “Chelsea Lately” writer & roundtable guest-host, Fortune Feimster, The Dinah 2012 will be rocked with special performances from headliners Nina Sky, Grammy-Award Winning Music Legend Chaka Khan; Dance Divas Wynter Gordon (“Dirty Talk” w David Guetta), Cece Peniston (“Finally”) and Pussycat Doll Jessica Sutta (“Show Me”); music’s new “it” girl, BC Jean (who penned Beyonce’s mega hit “If I were a Boy”), and up-and-coming pop talents Anjulie, Rye Rye, Meital and Porcelain Black.

Want more? How about the Charlie’s Angels of comedy: veteran comic Suzanne Westenhoefer, stand-up’s fastest breakthrough rising stars Jessica Kirson (Celebrity Apprentice and The Tonight Show with Jay Leno) and Karen Williams? Or America’s most beloved, iconic television actress, Meredith Baxter, up close & personal in an exclusive intimate Q&A session?

A Dinah’mite line-up of A-listers galore also including some of the LGBT community’s favorite lesbian celebrities on Primetime non-scripted reality & game series such as Whitney Mixter, Romi Klinger, Rose Garcia, Kelsey Grace Chavarria, Rachel Rodriguez, Francine Beppu and Sara Bettencourt from Season 2 of The Real L Word, as well as America’s Next Top Model Cycle 5’s very own jaw-dropping Kim Stolz.

Ladies get ready for the ultimate MUST-SEE, MUST-EXPERIENCE Dinah EVER!
A girl-given phenomenon, you just have to do it!

www.TheDinah.com

Join us for an afternoon of live music, food and drink specials, and the wildest parade to hit the shores of Long Beach from 1pm – 7pm. Parade starts at 3pm in front of Long Beach’s legendary Aquarium of the Pacific.

Dancers, stilt walkers, mimes, clowns – all are welcome! If you’d like to bring a group or represent a company, let us know you and/or your company is coming by completing a registration form, located here – http://lbcinema.org/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/Mardi-Gras-2012-parade-entry-form.pdf. Participation is FREE but let us know you’re coming no later than Friday, February 10!

This free and fun community event has been made possible with support from the Downtown Long Beach Associates, Outback Steakhouse, Boston’s The Gourmet Pizza, Tequila Jack’s, Bubba Gump Shrimp Co., Steffano’s Pizza, and 33 Degrees.

Keep posted online at rainbowharbormardigras.com, and join us on Facebook at facebook.com/rainbowharbormardigras!

Laissez Les Bon Temps Rouler!

• Art Theatre (2025 E. 4th; 562-438-5435): FREE small popcorn for any showing with a Saturday receipt from a Retro Row/4th Street merchant! Daytime movie TBD; Midnite Movie: ROCKY HORROR PICTURE SHOW, featuring Original Live Shadowcast (as featured in recent AIDS benefit)!

• 4th Street Vine (2142 E. 4th; 562-343-5463): ART: Death; The Future! MUSIC: TBD FOOD: Rancho A Go-Go BBQ Truck PLUS: Costume Party COSTUME PARTY: Masquerade and Zombie appreciated, but all welcome! Start here before you head to the Zombie Walk & Street Fest (or not)

• Blu Button (2112 East 4th; 562-433-8780) Halloween-themed One-Year Anniversary with tricks and treats!

• The Feed Store (2001 East 4th; 562-433-7500): Appetizers, drinks and shopping with a purpose! Featuring jewelry from the International Sanctuary organization—which rehabilitates survivors of human trafficking by offering education, medical assistance, life skills, and marketable training in jewelry making. In Orange County, iSanctuary offers an integrated professional growth program providing survivors with the skills they need to sustain themselves, pursuing better futures filled with hope.

• Portfolio Coffeehouse (2300 East 4th: 562-434-2486): Portfolio (and Portfolio Annex) will feature ghoulish lattes, trick or treats for young and old, and live music by pop singer-songwriter Hana Kim from 8-10pm.

http://4thstreetlongbeach.com/uncategorized/last-saturdays-on-4th-october-29th-4-8-pm/

On Sunday Oct. 23, 2011 Swoop’s World radio teams up with the Expo Arts Center for “Expo Arts Center LoungEx Presents An Evening of Indie Artists With Swoop’s World.” This will be a wonderful night of great performances by three talented local indie singer/songwriters performing original music in the intimate setting of LoungEx at the Expo Arts Center in Long Beach.

The music event will feature Long Beach-based musicians Michelle Mangione and Cory Joseph Clark, as well as Los Angeles-based musician Raspin. All three of these outstanding performers have loyal followings throughout the Southland.

“We are really excited about this event. It encompasses what Swoop’s World has always been about. Supporting local artists, local business and our community,” said Swoop, host of Swoop’s World Radio. “We are hoping that this is only the beginning of recurring events that we sponsor featuring independent artists performing original material in small venues. Our goal through these events is to help these talented individuals get their music, songs, words and poetry, in front of a paying audience seeking to support and discover new talent.”

Michelle Mangione

Michelle Mangione is a songwriter/musician with a homebase in Long Beach and a fan base all over the world. Delivered with a powerful voice and bold lyrics, Mangione’s songs connect the dots between personal experience and the big picture. She then sets that picture into motion through hypnotic melodies. It’s little wonder that other musicians seek out Michelle for collaboration. She has played with such greats as saxophonist Buddy Collette, guitarist Robben Ford and co-written songs with the legendary Grace Slick.

Raspin

An accomplished songwriter, vocalist and producer, Raspin claims an ecletic misx of musical influences that include Louis Armstrong, Joni Mitchell, Harry Chapin, Cat Stevens, Dan Fogelberg, Bruce Springsteen, Bette Midler, Patty La Belle and Beethoven. All of which can be heard in the soulful auditory experiences he creates for audiences. The self-taught guitartist is a true entertainer who brings the stage to life with his animated movements and emotion-driven rhymthms. Blues and soul with the finesse of a classic, part hometown Chicago and part Hollywood Hills, Raspin’s music successfully blends worlds that were never meant to collide.

Cory Joseph Clark

Cory Joseph Clark has played in bands his whole life. His career as a guitar/vocal sideman has taken him on tours that stretch across the U.S. and oversees. But, forever the dreamer, Clark doesn’t let being the sideman sidetrack his goals. As a songwriter, a performer, an artist and entrepreneur he always looks to his music as the roots of his expression. In 2011, after releasing his last EP, he started a weekly singer/songwriter showcase called THE HUM HOUSE where in addition to performing himself, he books two talented acts to share the spotlight.

“We’ve had the pleasure of having each of these musicians as guests on our show. We’ve seen them perform and they are all fantastic. This will be a great show that I’m sure everyone will enjoy,” added Peter Dopulos, co-host of Swoop’s World.

Music lovers will get to enjoy sets from each of these amazing musicians at this inaugural indie music show. (Or, for a sneak peak head over to SwoopsWorld.com/Indie-Showcase to listen to the interviews and check out their music!)

The Expo Arts Center’s LoungEx presents An Evening of Indie Artists with Swoop’s World on Sunday, Oct. 23, 2011 from 4:30pm-7:30 p.m. The Expo Arts Center is located at 4321 Atlantic Avenue, Long Beach, 90807.

As an added bonus, event attendees will also have free access to the Expo Art Center’s gallery exhibits. The doors open at 3:45 p.m. so that guest may enjoy the art exhibits prior to the show.

Tickets for the indie music event, $10 in advance or $12 at the door, are already on sale. Seating is limited so advance purchases are recommended. To buy tickets, visit http://swoopsworld.ticketbud.com/evening-of-indie-artists.

Yes Yes Yes! It’s almost time for our annual fundraising Halloween Sale Launch Party! It’s the Best of the Best of this year’s donations.

Get first pick of the unique Halloween Costumes plus Vintage, Designer & Hip clothes, Jewelry, Shoes, Bags, Accessories at incredibly reasonable prices – all before we open to the public on Saturday, October 1.

A $10 donation gets you in plus free tickets in exciting raffles and a chance to win our Mystery Prize! – available at the store or on night.
Or pay $5 at the door.

Refreshments & Nibblies included.

Hang out, shop, meet some fab people and help us help those living with HIV & AIDS in Long Beach.

See you There!

The Halloween Sale runs 7 days a week through Monday, October 31.

AIDS Assistance Thrift Store
2011 E 4th St
Long Beach, CA 90814
(562) 987-5353

The mission of PARK(ing) Day—conceived and created in 2005 by San Francisco art and design studio, Rebar—is to call attention to the need for more urban open space, to generate critical debate around how public space is created and allocated, and to improve the quality of urban human habitat … at least until the meter runs out!

September 16-18 the QFilm Festival will will be showing over twenty films made this year by some of the top independent LGBT filmmakers. Every year is unique and 2011 promises to be another excellent event and even more special with its international block of films.

QFilms has invited Popo Fan, a twenty-six year old Chinese filmmaker to screen “Be A Woman,” a documentary about drag queens who live in Nanning China. Popo follows them from their glittery stage performances in nightclubs to their dressing rooms as they put on and take off their pancake makeup (there is even a catfight!). “Be A Woman” gives an honest and often sad look at queer men in a gender variant subculture and gives voice to their untold and difficult lives. Marginalized by society, disowned by their parents and shunned from family they live for the nights they are able to perform and make the best of their circumstances with resilience, wit and humor.

In 2004 Popo began making films while studying at the Beijing Film Academy. “I went into filmmaking because I was bad at math. They didn’t have the requirements other universities had so I took a class.” He was often around homophobic students and one colleague in particular, a young man, would often make disparaging comments about gays during class. His studies became even more uncomfortable when they later became roommates at the Academy. Popo being true to himself did not hide his sexuality and would openly watch gay films in their room. Eventually his colleague began watching them too and they became best friends. “It was at that time I knew films could change the world!”

Popo initially had no interest in documentaries and instead concentrated on writing for TV. He changed his mind when he went to a gay pride parade in Taipei for a film project. “It was so exciting to be around other gay people. I knew then it (documentaries) was what I wanted to do.”

Later during a sightseeing tour he found himself in Nanning where he met his first drag queens. “I found them beautiful, interesting and very hardworking performers. They had great spirit and opened me up to different ideas about gender and sexuality.”

After leaving school in 2007 he wrote a legal and mainstream published book on LGBT films. It sold over 10,000 copies and instantly gained him respect and notoriety among many in the LGBT community.

Funding is difficult enough for any filmmaker but LGBTQ films made in Mainland China face even greater challengers. In 2008 Popo was awarded a $4,500 grant from the Astraea Lesbian Foundation for Justice and began production of “Be A Woman.” It took him three years to complete.

Be A Woman is special not only for its rare insights but also for the fact that in the era of Chinese censorship, it is practically a miracle that this movie was even made. LGBTQ films are censored by the Chinese government and cannot be screened in mainstream theaters. They find their way to their audiences in living rooms, private venues and LGBTQ centers in cities like Beijing and Hangzhou and in some cases now make their way into universities.

Fortunately Be A Woman has now made it overseas to the QFilm Festival and is being screened Saturday the 17th at 3:00pm. Tickets can be purchased by going to the QFilms website or can be purchased at the door. A special question and answer period will take place after the movie.

COMPLETE SCHEDULE OF 2011 QFILM FESTIVAL & RELATED EVENTS:

FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 16th
5:00PM FIT at the Art Theatre
7:15pm TOMBOY at the Art
8:00-10:30pm Opening Night Party at The Center Long Beach
9:15pm JUDAS KISS at the Art, followed by Q&A with the filmmakers and cast members.
11:30pm After Party at Paradise Bar & Grill

SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 17th
12:30pm INSPIRED: THE VOICES AGAINST PROP 8 at the Art, followed by Q&A with the filmmakers and available subjects who appear in the film.
1:00pm I AM at The Center
2:45pm WOMEN IN SHORTS program at the Art, followed by Q&A with available filmmakers and cast members.
3:00pm BE A WOMAN at The Center
5:15pm MEN IN BRIEFS program at the Art, followed by Q & A with available filmmakers and cast members.
7:30pm CHO DEPENDENT at the Art
8:00-10:30pm Saturday Night Party at The Center
9:15pm LEAVE IT ON THE FLOOR, followed by Q & A with the filmmakers and cast members.
11:30pm After Party at Paradise Bar & Grill

SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 18th
10:30am Brunch at Café Ambrosia
12:00pm PHOTOS OF ANGIE at the Art, preceded by short film CHARLOTTE and followed by Q & A with the filmmakers.
12:45pm BISEXUAL REVOLUTION at The Center, followed by discussion.
1:45pm WE WERE HERE at the Art, preceded by world premiere short film UB2.
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4:00pm LONGHORNS at the Art, preceded by short film COUPLES THERAPY and followed by Q & A
with available filmmakers and cast members.
6:15pm WISH ME AWAY at the Art
7:00-9:30pm Closing Night Party at The Center
8:00pm HOLLYWOOD TO DOLLYWOOD at the Art