All Events »

Northern Lights Ball

March 11 @ 8:00 pm - March 12 @ 12:30 am

Dancers throng under colored light at Mass MoCA. Press photo courtesy of Mass MoCA
Mass MoCA

North Adams Pride announces that their first annual Northern Lights Ball for members of the regional LGBTQ+ community and allies to shake off the winter blues (ages 21+). The Ball’s theme encourages attendees to “dress to impress” by drawing inspiration from “glitter, glam, and sparkles” or their favorite LGBTQ+ icon (think the headdresses worn by pop star Cher, the dapper suits of Oscar Wilde, the red carpet glam of Billy Porter, or the sequin-festooned outfits worn by Elton John or Harry Styles).

Prizes will be awarded for Best Dressed, Brightest, and Best Icon Impersonation. Doors will open at 8:00 pm at the North Adams Elks Lodge at 100 Eagle Street, and festivities will conclude at 12:30 am.

The Northern Lights Ball will include a cash-only bar and dance beats by acclaimed Berkshire DJ BFG. The event emcee will be Northern Berkshires’ very own drag performer Vuronika Baked. She will join fellow performers Jackie Leggs and Miss Ginger Soulless who, according to North Adams Pride member Andrew Fitch, “will entertain revelers and ensure there is no absence of fun and frolic”.

The night’s guests, New England Ballroom Performers and creators of Northampton Vogue Nights, Milz 007 and Mz. October May Lay will peel back the curtain on the world of ballroom with performances and opportunities for party goers to compete in several ballroom categories.

Get tickets »

In addition to “offering a way to shake off the winter blues and cure cabin fever”, the event was created by the newly formed North Adams Pride nonprofit to raise awareness around its mission and help raise funds for its roster of 2023 events.

“I want to do my part to help make sure that those in the local queer community feel safe, comfortable, and supported living out and proud in the Northern Berkshires in the same way I have for 22 years,” said longtime North Adams resident Kurt Kolok, “and being part of North Adams Pride gives me a way to do that.”

Many locals have volunteered vehicles, labor, and sound equipment while several local businesses have provided some event sponsorship. The group is actively seeking individual participants and supporters along with organizational sponsorship for 2023 and beyond.

Members of the group–a mixture of local LGBTQ+ community members and allies–have helped to organize the beloved June Pride Night celebrations held in the Mass MoCA courtyard over the past two years, and have built award-winning Pride floats in the 2021 and 2022 North Adams Fall Foliage Parades.

The group plans to continue supporting these events in 2023 while creating new opportunities to celebrate and spotlight LGBTQ+ residents, visitors, and businesses in the Northern Berkshires. North Adams Pride activities are centered on three pillars of action: “Educate, Celebrate, and Innovate, inclusively.”

“We want to make sure North Adams Pride serves and uplifts all members of our community and our allies, throughout the year”, said Jennifer Stevens, North Adams Pride member and owner of Bear & Bee Bookstore, which serves as the organization’s headquarters.

There will be a signup sheet at the ball for those interested in joining North Adams Pride or volunteering for events. This event is open to all members of the public 21 years of age and older, current ID will be required for entry.

By the Way Berkshires is a digital magazine exploring creative life and community — art and performance, food and the outdoors — and I’m writing it for you, with local voices, because I’ve gotten to know this rich part of the world as a writer and journalist, and I want to share it with you.

If you’d like to see the website grow, you can join me for a few dollars a month, enough for a cup of coffee and a cider doughnut. Members get access to extra stories and multimedia, itineraries a bookmark tool. Let me know what you're looking for, and we’ll explore together.

Event Details

Details

Start:
March 11 @ 8:00 pm
End:
March 12 @ 12:30 am
Event Categories:
, , ,

Event Location

Elks Lodge
100 Eagle St.
North Adams, MA
413-663-3327

Browse Events

Calendar of Events

M Mon

T Tue

W Wed

T Thu

F Fri

S Sat

S Sun

1 event,

0 events,

4 events,

6 events,

9 events,

13 events,

6 events,

-

Berkshire Pride Tea Dance

0 events,

0 events,

4 events,

6 events,

11 events,

13 events,

8 events,

0 events,

1 event,

4 events,

8 events,

9 events,

17 events,

9 events,

0 events,

2 events,

6 events,

6 events,

12 events,

13 events,

8 events,

0 events,

6 events,

12 events,

10 events,

15 events,

22 events,

TMC Vocal Music

13 events,