Colombian kicks off with Big Gay Friday

The Colombian Hotel on Oxford St is one of the many gay venues open to Big Gay Weekenders over the Labour Day Weekend, with a special night of events on Big Gay Friday.

With your $10 multi-venue wristband, $5 of which is a donation to New Mardi Gras (NMG), you can enter the Colombian from 5pm, where DJ Dave 54 will control the decks with Michael Wheatley on vocals from 6pm.

But music isn’t the only thing you can start your night with. Don’t miss the underwear parade, sponsored by Aussie Boys, and modelled by the sexy Sydney Stingers from 7pm, followed by a swimwear parade with the team at 8.30pm.

Hosting and shows will be in the hands of Sydney’s favourite diva Maxi Shield, and there’ll be super-cheap drink specials and premium cocktails for wristband holders, along with giveaways and prizes including double passes to Glitterball, Homesexual and I Remember House’s second birthday.

One of the men behind the Colombian’s Big Gay Friday offering, Musicland’s Darren Ong, said the venue was excited to support fundraising efforts for NMG’s Parade Fund.

“We are excited about the focus on Oxford St venues for the Big Gay Friday,” Ong said.

“In previous years the weekend focus was on the Sleaze Ball party on the Saturday, which competed with numerous promoter events. All of these drew patrons away from Oxford St.”

While Ong said this may still still occur on the Saturday and Sunday, most events are included in the fundraising for NMG and under the umbrella of the Big Gay Weekend, so they tie in with the venue events on Friday.

“We have local businesses involved in our Friday night, Aussie Boys and Grill’d. It is a positive result with venues and local businesses working together to promote Oxford St and support the fundraising for the NMG Parade fund,” he said.

“We all benefit from the parade and the accompanying festival.”