Feast Festival 2015

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Sat 14 Nov 2015 - Sun 29 Nov 2015

The Adelaide Feast Festival has blossomed in recent years, broadening its appeal and attracting many people outside the LGBTIQ community. A change of artistic direction has seen the program shrink a little this year while still retaining the highlights that have defined it in the past . This year it will coincide with the 2015 Australian Homosexual Histories Conference in Adelaide.

Feast kicks off with the free Adelaide Pride March on Saturday November 14. Starting at Victoria Square a cavalcade of motorbikes will lead the colourful parade to Hindley Street and the Opening Night Party. Look out for the Marching Dunstans who will be a startling sight in their iconic safari suits and pink shorts. The Marching Dunstans are a part of the Come Out! Come Out! Festival which celebrates the 40th anniversary of gay law reform in Adelaide initiated by Don Dunstan.


This year the Feast Festival Opening Night Party has grown to take over George Street in Adelaide's south west corner. It's just the place to party with tasty food, tastier bar staff, and enough alcohol to last you all year. The rest of us can enjoy the flavoursome food and market stalls before braving the dance floor while a slick selection of celebrities entertain and perform for us. Make sure you get your ticket in advance because it's $10 more at the door.

Fortunately you've got 24 hours to recover before The Art of Drag - a night with international superstar Conchita: a one night extravaganza which will showcase the very best of local and interstate drag. Come in drag and bring your friends in frocks, the organisers are hoping to earn the Guiness Book of Records title for the Largest Drag Queen Stage Show. (Perhaps they should hang around the Mars Bar , most of the drag queens there are well over 2 metres tall).



For the less adventurous among us the free Feast Lounge at the Lion Arts Centre will be the place to unwind between November 17-28. Lounge about in the comfy armchairs or if you feel confident, make your moves on the dance floor. The bar opens at 5pm and will help your self esteem immeasurably, especially if you spot somebody wearing the same outfit as you.

Gay icon Dr Gertrude Glossip has been dragged our of her retirement closet for another Feast Festival gay history walk. As a camp crusader from way back, Dr Glossip will not mince her words in To the Barricades! More Outlaw Than In-Law. Trailing clouds of glory (and the odd puff of perfume), Gertrude will recount the sensational story of Bert Edwards' trial (gossip included) as she swans along North terrace to the River Torrens and the memorial to Dr George Duncan.



Last year's Queers on Queen Street street party was an outrageous success - I think some may still be there even now. This year the Queer Station Street Party has moved one train stop closer to town so that it's easier to totter home on your stilletos. Luckily the Bowden railway station is close by too. The Queer Station Street Party is a free event that's full of fun things to do, and is on Sunday November 22 from 11am – 6pm.

The Adelaide has a busy cultural program too: it's full of film, with enough visual art exhibitions, comedy and music to take your mind off sex for an hour or two. I'll leave that to more erudite reviewers than I in the arts pages of The Advertiser - after all they desperately need somebody to buy the paper. Or you can simply download the program yourself and choose a performance to suit your mood.



For most people the Feast Festival is about fun things to do, and the Dolphin Disco Cruise ($45) around the Port River on Friday November 27 will fill the bill well. If history is more interesting than hedonism for you, why not go to see An Open and Shut Case? at the State Library SA?

peaks with Picnic in the Park ($10) at the appropriately named Pinky Flats again on Sunday November 29. The free Picnic After Party takes place back at the Lion Arts Centre until midnight, when you can start counting down the days till the next festival.

Pop over to the Feast Festival website or swan about on the Facebook page to get all the gossip while it's fresh. There's nothing worse than spreading old news.

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#november
!date 14/11/2015 -- 29/11/2015
%wnadelaide