Cherry Weekend Washington 2023

Cherry Weekend Washington 2023

The Cherry Fund is the longest running 501c3 non-profit circuit party organization in United States, serving numerous HIV/AIDS & Mental Health Service organizations in the Washington DC metropolitan area.

• Visiting DC for Cherry Weekend? Stay at the Canopy by Hilton with spacious rooms and a state of the art gym. (12 minutes from Dupont Circle)

The Party

• The 2023 Edition Theme is – The Broadway Musical.
• The Cherry weekend is a spectacular and joyous event held over four days featuring sixteen world renowned DJs., 9 different events and 4 fun daytime parties.
• The Washington Plaza Hotel is in the heart of Washington, with a great pool and friendly staff. (5 minutes from Dupont Circle)

Cherry Washington DC Party Schedule 2023

• Friday Mar 31st – From 9.30pm – HEADWIG
  Let the rockstar in you shine as you join the WEB Studio for a Hedwig inspired theme.  Feel the love and express your inner self freely and openly as DJs Micky Friedmann and GSP take you on your musical journey you won’t want to miss. WEB Studio 1301 W Street, NE Washington, DC 20018
• Saturday Daytime – Apr 1st – From 1.30pm to 5.30pm – THE HANDMOOD’S TALE at Soundcheck
  Come celebrate Moody LXVI. A deliciously dark and edgy spectacle with DJ Joe Gauthreaux and with surprise special performances.
• Saturday Nighttime – Apr 1st – From 9.30pm – MOULIN ROUGE at Echostage
  Break out the sparkles and bustier for this Broadway French classic love story inspired theme Moulin Rouge. With DJ Las Bibas from Vizcaya & Orel Sabag you’ll be dancing the night away!  Who will you be? The Duke, Satine, China Doll, the Green Fairy maybe? Dress to impress for a chance to win some prizes at Echostage.  
• Sunday Afterhours – Apr 2nd – From 8:45am – PHANTOM at Ultrabar
  Enjoy dark and mysterious after hours with DJs Eddie Martinez kicking things off and Calagna’s pulsating, melodic sound will keep you dancing and having a great time on the dancefloor all night.  Continue the party on the Rooftop as the sun rises with DJ Shane Marcus.
• Sunday Nighttime – Apr 2nd – From 9:30pm – HAIRSPRAY at Ultrabar 
  Clutch your pearls and hold onto your wigs for the finale of the weekend event, a Hairspray-themed Broadway party featuring iconic DJ Nina Flowers and DJ Mohammad. We can’t wait to see which character from Hairspray you’ll dress as this year!

The Venues

• Ultrabar – multilevel bar & lounge with special lighting effects & DJs, In between Ford’s Theatre and the Smithsonian American Art Museum, Downtown-Penn Quarter-Chinatown. Stay right by Ultrabar at the Kimpton Hotel DC and just 8 min from Dupont Circle.
• Echostage – a music venue located in Washington, D.C.. Opened in 2012, the hybrid nightclub and concert hall has over 30,000 square feet of space and is capable of hosting up to 3,000 guests. This Vast nightspot features bars, a dance floor and a smoking area.
• Soundcheck  – Designed to remind club-goers of the golden age of underground dance, Soundcheck has been outfitted with LED walls, lights and lasers that rival Echostage, and the classic, necessary disco balls. It has “state-of-the-art d&b audiotechnik Y-series speakers.

Gay Washington DC

• With rainbow-colored crosswalks, it’s obvious that this Dupont Circle neighborhood street is the place to be. A few blocks east of the neighborhood’s namesake circle, 17th Street NW is home to JR’s.
• If you’re looking for a speakeasy feel, try Dito’s, located in the basement of Italian restaurant Floriana. The Lilliputian lounge serves up cocktails and great conversation. Or pick a theme night at JR’s: the longtime gay bar does Retro Fridays, Sunday Fundays and even drag-themed trivia on Wednesday nights. In an unofficial nod to the nabe’s LGBTQ+ scene, look for the “Frank Kameny Way” street sign at 17th and R streets. Kameny, an astronomer by trade, became a gay rights activist when he was fired from the U.S. Army in 1957.
• The LGBTQ+-friendly The Ven Embassy Row Hotel is a member of the International Gay & Lesbian Travel Association and it was named “one of the best rooftop pools in America” by USA Today. The bar stays open until 11 p.m. on summer Friday and Saturday nights, and delights with its cocktails and nibbles.
• Adams Morgan’s cozy restaurants and trendy shops also make it a must-see during the day. Explore the shops along 18th Street NW and then cap off a dinner at Duplex Diner with dancing and drink specials (all wines are half off for Wine-O Wednesday, plus there’s Rosé All Day on weekends).

The Cherry Fund

• The event is dedicated to raising money for the Washington DC LGBTQIA+ community. See you on the dancefloor.
• CHERRY began when a group of local residents united to plan a charity fundraiser in the late 90s. Using modest financial resources, the volunteer-based organization known as Friends Being Friends banded together to put on a weekend of music, dance and celebration.
• Several other CHERRY events would follow, each growing in entertainment value and attendance over time. The popularity of these fundraisers inspired the idea that Washington was ready for an annual charity event on the level of those held on Fire Island, Miami or Montréal.

Hotels close to the Washington Gay District

Here are the hotels we recommend that have good reviews and keep you close to all the action:
Hotel Palomar,    The Dupont,    Rouge Hotel,    Mason & Rook Hotel