DC Gathering - January 14-16, 2022

[nate_sf]

There have been questions about whether there will be the annual gathering in Washington DC next January over MLK weekend. Though it's many months away, I thought I'd start a new thread with the info so people can start planning ahead.

 

So first off, yes it will be happening. I'm committed to making sure it happens, and thank those who have offered assistance. Thanks in particular to @Keenan for getting the ball rolling in this earlier thread.

 

As with past DC gatherings, the weekend will span the MLK weekend, and coincide with Mid Atlantic Leather (MAL). There wasn’t one this past January because it coincided with the inaugural, and also covid. But assuming we’ve turned the corner with covid by January, we’ll be back in 2022.

 

For those of you who may not be interested in MAL or the leather scene, not to worry! Traditionally the DC gathering has coincided with MAL because it's a long weekend and many of us are in town, but the forum gathering is otherwise independent of the leather activities and is welcoming to all forum members. You may choose to sample some of the MAL activities, or go "whole-hog", or alternatively forgo them completely. That's up to you.

 

The Events

 

We’ve followed a familiar script for the events over the years. However we’d be interested in people’s thoughts about possibly switching some things around, and finding a replacement for the strip-club evening.

• Welcome Happy Hour – Friday early evening – Cocktail Hour at or near MAL. This is an informal kickoff to the weekend, dovetailing with MAL. Great for those attending MAL, or who may just be curious in checking out the scene. Leather and uniforms are welcome but not necessary; jeans and t-shirts are totally fine, or you could right from the office in your suit (for those who appreciate men in suits!). For those who want to stick around and eat, we’ll also reserve a table at the hotel so we can saunter over and get some food while enjoying the eye candy.
  
• Weekend Happy Hour– A couple of years ago we added an informal get-together at a gay sports bar in the Dupont Circle Area on Saturday afternoon. It’s a change of scenery and has been fun. This will be either Saturday or Sunday afternoon, depending on the brunch.
  
• The Brunch – This has been the main event, and has traditionally been on Sunday. However Keenan made a good point that it coincides with the MAL contest, as well as the MAL brunch. Maybe we try it on Saturday for a change? If we did that, we’d swap it with the Saturday sports bar happy hour, which would then move to Sunday. It would allow people to meet each other at the brunch earlier in the weekend, and still have a chance to get together the next afternoon.
  
• Strip Club? – One of my favorite events of the weekend had been the visit to the all-nude Secrets bar on Saturday night. But alas, Secrets is no more. Any new strip clubs or gogo bars to check out? I've been monitoring the Strip Club forum...
  

The Poll

 

So how about this idea of having the brunch on Saturday, instead of Sunday? Let us know what you prefer with this surveymonkey poll:

 

https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/K2PF3DM

 

We’re looking at either having the sports bar happy hour on Saturday and the brunch on Sunday, or vice versa.

 

Don’t care? That’s an option too!

 

Accommodations

 

Generally speaking, DC within “The District” (i.e., DC proper) is easy to get around on foot, Metro, cab/rideshare. The weekend’s events will be mostly in the Dupont Circle area or at the Hyatt Capitol Hill (walking distance to Union Station), so anywhere near or between those locations will be convenient.

 

Rooms at the MAL host hotel are already sold out, and they’re also sold out at the hotel across the street. But they still have arrangements at some of the neighboring hotels. Here is the link to the reservations page: http://www.leatherweekend.com/hotel/

 

There are several other hotels in the immediate vicinity of the Hyatt, within walking distance, that are not affiliated with MAL. However just as many forum members are likely to be staying at other DC locations, including the Dupont Circle area. If you have a question about a particular hotel you’re considering, post the question in this thread and you’re likely to receive feedback.

 

Interest List

 

If you're interested in attending, please send me a direct message and I’ll add you to the interest list. Be sure to include an email address, as the final itinerary will be sent by email, not PM. I won’t share your email address with anyone. If you've already contacted me and I've replied back to you, you're on the list.

 

Questions and Suggestions

 

If you have general questions or suggestions for the gathering, please add a reply to this thread or send me a PM. There is plenty of time to plan things so interested in suggestions.

Edited May 1, 2021 by nate_sf