WINTER PARTY INTERVIEWS: +EVENTS DIRECTOR MICHAEL BATH +DJ ABEL AGUILERA +DJ ANA FLOR
OFFICIAL GUIDE: WINTER PARTY PARTIES & EVENTS
STUNNING COVER & CENTERFOLD MODEL: QUINN BIDDLE
OUR COMMUNITY: MIAMI BEACH PRIDE
CELEBRATES 15 YEARS
6. PUBLISHER’S CORNER: WINTER PARTY FESTIVAL Publisher Rafa Carvajal previews the 30th Anniversary Winter Party Festival (WPF).
8. COVER STORY: DJ ABEL AGUILERA WILL SPIN AT THE BEACH PARTY
Wire Magazine sat down with DJ Abel to preview the 30th Anniversary WPF Beach Party.
10. CENTERFOLD & COVER MODEL: QUINN BIDDLE
Stunning cover and centerfold model Quinn Biddle with beautiful photos taken by Photo Studio Miami.
14. COVER STORY: WPF EVENTS DIRECTOR MICHAEL BATH INTERVIEW
We interview Events Director Michael Bath about this year’s Winter Party Festival parties and history.
16. COVER STORY: DJ ANA FLOR DJING AT UNDER ONE SUN PARTY
Ana Flor tells us about DJing at the Winter Party signature Saturday daytime party Under One Sun.
18. COVER STORY: WINTER PARTY OFFICIAL PARTIES & EVENTS GUIDE
Make the most out of your WPF experience by using our Wire Magazine guide to plan ahead.
20. OUR COMMUNITY: 15TH MIAMI BEACH PRIDE
Miami Beach Pride will celebrate 15 years, so we interview Community Grand Marshal Steve Adkins to preview it.
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Model: Quinn Biddle
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This week, we bring you our 30th Anniversary Winter Party Festival (WPF) Special Issue. The Festival will take place March 1-7 in Miami Beach and Miami. An expected ten thousand attendees will have a great time at twelve signature events taking place at seven worldclass venues and featuring twelve international DJs. We will all be celebrating WPF’s motto to ‘Live Free. Play Hard. Give Back.’
The Winter Party Festival will happen as part of the year-long 50th anniversary celebration of the National LGBTQ Task Force, and its parties and events will benefit the local and national LGBTQ community. The Task Force has given back since 2005 by financially supporting over 90 community organizations in South Florida. It also directly funds social justice causes both locally and nationally and is training and mobilizing millions of activists nationwide to ‘deliver a world where you can be you.’
We interview Events Director Michael Bath, DJ Abel Aguilera and DJ Ana Flor to preview the 2023 Festival. According to Michael, WPF is crucial for us because “obviously it’s an important source of funding for the LGBTQ community. The money raised at Winter Party Festival has fueled much of the Task Force’s programs, from our Creating Change Conference, the largest annual convening of LGBTQ activists in the country, to the campaign our staff will be promoting this year, Queer the Vote, which aims to get progressive-minded voters to the polls. The Task Force also donates a significant portion of the proceeds of the Festival and our annual gala to organizations serving the South Florida LGBTQ community. We’ve donated over $3.3 million to date. But I’d say just as important as the money is the space we create for members of our community to gather, to celebrate and to be themselves. I came across a volunteer a few years ago looking out at the sea of happy faces on the dance floor of the Beach Party and he was crying. I asked what was wrong and he said, “I’ve never experienced anything like the feeling I have here.” A lot of our guests have the same experience.”
Our WPF Official Parties & Events Guide will help you make the most out of your Festival experience by using it to plan ahead. Additionally, we preview the 2023 Miami Beach Pride, which will celebrate 15 years, by interviewing Community Grand Marshal Steve Adkins. Enjoy the beautiful photos of our stunning cover and centerfold model Quinn Biddle taken by Photo Studio Miami.
In closing, I want to invite you to get a Wire Magazine FREE subscription at wiremag.com/free, and to attend the Latinos Salud Miami-Dade Evolution Gala March 25 by purchasing your tickets at gala.lsalud.org.
Cheers,
Rafa Carvajal Publisher & Editor in Chief rafa@wiremag.com
“RIGHTS ARE WON ONLY BY THOSE WHO MAKE THEIR VOICES HEARD.” - HARVEY MILK
to play some of the best classics from 1993 and forward, right up to the present, hand-picked to reflect and remember all the amazing years we've come together to celebrate life. The age groups vary, so we can't stay in just one zone of music, but I will tastefully blend a true journey of everything for everyone to enjoy, and hopefully bring the memories home.
RC: What's new with DJ Abel these days?
DJ Abel Aguilera has been part of Winter Party since 1993 at the famous South Beach gay club known as Paragon. We sat down with DJ Abel to preview the WPF 30th Anniversary Beach Party.
Rafa Carvajal: What are you looking forward to the most about DJing at the Winter Party Festival 30th Anniversary Beach Party?
DJ Abel: I am honored, excited, and thrilled to spin this special 30th Anniversary Beach Party because it will give me the opportunity to give our partygoers a true journey of three decades of Winter Party music. I think I may have only missed one or two Winter Party's because of Carnaval in Rio, but I have been a part of this magical event since 1993 at Paragon (or the space known as 1235 Washington Avenue).
RC: From your perspective, why is the Winter Party Festival so important for our LGBTQ community?
DJA: The Winter Party is truly an important week-long event for our LGBTQ community to come together once a year to generate funds desperately needed to support and help those in need of assistance, whether it’s homelessness, discrimination, abuse, employment assistance, or any of the many other needs that face our LGBTQ community. By having these events, we join forces as one big chosen family to make a huge humane difference for our brothers and sisters who need our help.
RC: Why do you think Winter Party Festival attendees love your DJing so much?
DJA: I think my loyal fans from the past, and now the present, know I have multiple favorite genres of music, and since I've done almost all the different events, they can feel confident I will give my 100 percent at any of the events.
RC: What should Beach Party guests expect from the sets and music you are preparing?
DJA: This is a very special 30th Anniversary, and I expect
DJA: I am still as original as it gets, and still love to revamp myself and keep up with today’s fresh and latest music trends. I still get as excited as I did back when I got my first circuit break in 1993 at Paragon, and will give everyone a taste of the past meets the present at the Beach Party, for sure.
RC: Tell our readers why they should purchase tickets to the WPF 30th Anniversary Beach Party.
DJA: I always tell my friends and partygoers to please buy tickets to Winter Party, because everyone's participation is needed. We don't have many events like these any more that are truly needed fundraisers in full support of our community. We still need these events because the fight is not over yet. We still need our forces to come together. Everyone that supports this event is helping us take another step forward for our LGBTQ community.
RC: Is there anything else you would like to share with Wire Magazine readers?
DJA: Let's all come together. Let’s love, respect and care more for one another. We are all we have, and if we do not support each other, stand for each other, and vote as well, we will still be alone. We need to be stronger together now more than ever. Thank you, love and blessings always!
Screenings are easy, painless and non-invasive
The 30th Anniversary Winter Party Festival will include twelve signature events, so Events Director Michael Bath tells us what guests will experience at “the greatest LGBTQ festival in the world.”
Rafa Carvajal: What does the 30th anniversary of the Winter Party Festival mean to you?
Michael Bath: My first Winter Party experience was in 2000, as a guest. I remember leaving one party and hearing in my head one of the songs Morabito had just played, “I Don’t Want to Miss a Thing.” That summed up Winter Party to me perfectly – it was just a magical experience. Four years later the foundation that produced it folded, and the Task Force was asked to take it over, so that it would continue to raise money for the LGBTQ community. If the Task Force had not agreed, Winter Party would have ended nearly two decades ago.
The fact that the event is turning 30 speaks to the strength of our community, to the passion of our volunteers, and to the dedication of the Task Force. It’s exciting and an honor. Also, 2023 happens to be the 50th anniversary of the Task Force. What an incredible milestone! Of course, it comes at a moment when our work and our rights are being threatened. The Task Force is meeting these threats to progress with more strength, unity, and support than ever before. Florida has become ground zero for attacks on our rights, so Winter Party is going to give us an opportunity to not just say ‘gay’ but to shout it at the top of our lungs.
One Sun Party is going to be in a fabulous new location, Oasis Wynwood, and we’ve extended it to be a full eight hours. Also, in honor of the 30th anniversary, we’re turning over the DJ booth for the entirety of the Beach Party to the legendary DJ Abel.
RC: Please give our readers a brief overview of what's new for the 30th Winter Party Festival.
MB: I touched on a lot of it in my comments above. Another major difference is that we have changed our VIP Cocktail Reception, this year presented and hosted by Esmé Miami Beach, to an invitation-only event. Of course, all our VIP pass holders will be invited, but we wanted to make this a more intimate event and introduce people more to the Task Force. You’d be surprised how many people still don’t make the connection between this mindblowing celebration and the accomplishments the Task Force achieves for the LGBTQ community.
RC: As someone who was worked on many Winter Party festivals, how will the 30th Anniversary Festival be different and better?
MB: One of the things that will set this year apart is the fact that it’s been three years since it actually happened in person. For our volunteers and many of our guests, Winter Party is a reunion of chosen family. We haven’t had a family reunion in three years, so I think seeing everyone all together again is going to be extra special. Our Under
Photo by Adi Adinayev Photo by Adi AdinayevRC: What events are you looking forward to the most and why?
MB: Our team works really hard with our production partners to make every event in the Winter Party line-up truly special, so it’s hard to pick. I’m excited for our Under One Sun Party at Oasis because it’s a really spectacular venue and it will provide an enhanced experience for our guests. And, of course, nothing beats looking out at the sea of faces and the ocean beyond at the Beach Party. It’s just the biggest, most fun family reunion in the world. And one of the four men who founded Winter Party, Stewart Stein, comes every year. It’s going to be a special moment to watch him take in this colossal celebration that he helped conceive three decades ago.
RC: Why should our readers attend the 30th Winter Party Festival?
MB: Because if they don’t, they’re going to miss the greatest LGBTQ festival in the world!
RC: Is there anything else you would like to share with Wire Magazine readers?
MB: I cannot say enough about our volunteers, especially those who work year-round on our Festival Committee. I believe some of them very often put in as much time on Winter Party as they do for the jobs they get paid for. The Task Force and the entire LGBTQ community are more fortunate than they can know to have such talented, passionate people laboring for a full year to produce Winter Party.
with more current themes. I always try to make something transgenerational so everybody can have fun. My sessions are full of vocal and uplifting bases, and the sound tends to be soaring in energy. Despite my Latin roots, I believe my music goes beyond Tribal House.
RC: What was the best part of DJing at Madrid World Pride?
DJ Ana Flor will be DJing at WPF’s Under One Sun signature Saturday daytime party, so we interview her to learn more about this party and why the Festival is so important for our community.
Rafa Carvajal: What are you looking forward to the most about DJing at Winter Party's signature Saturday daytime party Under One Sun?
DJ Ana Flor: What I most look forward to is feeling this beautiful connection with the public with different ages, places, identities, and preferences. I cannot wait to celebrate and contribute by bringing joy and love to an event planned with sooo much care. Being part of the Festival team is an honor for me. I got a day party as a gift and I’m super excited! For many years, I was a resident DJ at a day party in Brazil, and I collected wonderful memories. Open air parties have a different energy, a magical vibe, don’t they? And this environment allows me to build the set more creatively, visiting more unexplored music versions as a journey, which is quite exciting.
RC: Why do you think the Winter Party Festival is so important for our LGBTQ community?
DJAF: The Festival is that important, in my opinion, because it raises funds to support our community across the country, promotes diversity, offers amazing performances by national and international artists, brings people together from different parts of the world, generates tourism and contributes with even more visibility to the Miami gay scene.
RC: Tell our readers about your DJing style.
DJAF: I usually say that defining is limiting, and I love surprises. But some characteristics are very present in my sessions in a general way. I consider myself to be a versatile DJ who loves to travel through time, mixing classics
DJAF: The invitation to perform at an event of that magnitude, Madrid World Pride, was amazing and very special. It was an opportunity to bring my music to an even greater and more diverse number of people, giving visibility not only to my work, but also to women DJs. I was the only girl to be part of the entire Festival line up in 2017. That meant A LOT to me. Being able to represent Brazil was something unforgettable too. The invitation to play came from the hands of the club that until today welcomes me with the same love and respect in Madrid. A partnership of almost six years of exclusivity. People from Madrid and the city itself melted my heart, and that was the beginning of a love story.
RC: What should Under One Sun guests expect from the sets and music you are preparing for Saturday's daytime party?
DJAF: They can be sure that they will find me exuding happiness and will experience a music journey full of vocals and good vibes as they deserve.
RC: Tell our readers why they should purchase tickets to the WPF 30th Anniversary Under One Sun party.
DJAF: We will be supporting our community and having a blast.
RC: Is there anything else you would like to share with Wire Magazine readers?
DJAF: Oh yes, please. First of all, I want to thank the Winter Party team for the invitation. Thank you for trusting my music and allowing me to be part of this beautiful edition. I also would thank Wire Magazine for the interview and for helping us publicize the event. And last but not least, I want to thank the Miami crowd who always, always, always welcomes me with love and smiles. A special set was made to promote the event and is available at my Soundcloud page, DJ Ana Flor. Hope you like it and get into the mood. See you soon. Big kisses to all!
Photo by Dale Stine
Wednesday, March 1
WELCOME RECEPTION
6-9 p.m.
Royal Palm South Beach
1545 Collins Avenue, Miami Beach
Thursday, March 2
VIP COCKTAIL RECEPTION
7:30-10 p.m.
Esmé Hotel
1438 Washington Avenue, Miami Beach
Special Guests: Winter Party Festival
Ambassadors Amrit Kapai and Nicholas
Kouchoukos from Bravo’s Family Karma
IGNITE
Featuring: DJs Jace M & J Warren
10 p.m. - 5 a.m.
Exchange Miami
1532 Washington Avenue, Miami Beach
Friday, March 3
ELEVATE POOL PARTY
Featuring: DJs Cesar HernandZ & Danny Verde
1-7 p.m.
Moxy South Beach
915 Washington Avenue, Miami Beach
LOCALIZE
7-10 p.m.
Axel Beach Miami
1500 Collins Avenue, Miami Beach
Popular community-building and networking event
HEAT
Featuring: DJs Marti Frieson & Orel Sabag
10 p.m. - 6 a.m.
Studio 60 Night Club
2300 NW 36th St., Miami
Saturday, March 4
UNDER ONE SUN
Featuring: DJs Ana Flor & Micky Friedman
12-8 p.m.
Oasis Wynwood
2335 N. Miami Avenue, Miami
WINTER PARTY & MASTERBEAT PRESENT:
SATURDAY NIGHT FEVER
Featuring: DJs Karsten Sollors & Calagna
10 p.m. - 7 a.m.
M2 Nightclub
1225 Washington Avenue, Miami Beach
Sunday, March 5
THE BEACH PARTY
Featuring: DJ Abel
1-8 p.m.
Sands of South Beach
1200 Ocean Drive, Miami Beach
WINTER PARTY & MASTERBEAT PRESENT:
HEROES & VILLAINS
Featuring: DJs Yinon Yahel & Mor Avrahami
10 p.m. - 5 a.m.
M2 Nightclub
1225 Washington Avenue, Miami Beach
Monday, March 6
AFTERGLOW
Featuring: DJ Tom Stephan
5 a.m. - 12 p.m.
Studio 60 Nightclub 2300 NW 36th St., Miami
FINALE
Featuring: DJs Cindel & Nina Flowers
10 p.m. - 5 a.m.
LVL One
30 NE 14th St., Miami
else, Pride to me is a celebration of community and friendships, and I look forward to April (Miami Beach style) each and every year.
RC: What does it mean to you that Miami Beach Pride is celebrating its 15th year Anniversary?
Miami Beach Pride will celebrate 15 years April 1-16, so we interview Community Grand Marshal and President of the Miami-Dade Gay & Lesbian Chamber of Commerce Steve Adkins to preview it. Visit miamibeachpride.com to see the full schedule of events and purchase tickets. One of the Pride events will be the second edition Queer Art Showcase at the Moxy South Beach on April 10. This free event will feature photography, paintings, sculptures, poetry, and other artworks created by South Florida LGBTQ+ artists. All the proceeds from the art sales will go directly to the artists.
Rafa Carvajal: Why do you think Miami Beach Pride is important to our community and what does Pride mean to you?
Steve Adkins: What started 53 years ago as a street protest to honor the Stonewall uprising a year earlier (1969) has evolved into a cultural phenomenon gathering together all peoples to celebrate diversity and being oneself. Pride shows the world that there are millions like you and me and millions more that support you and me. Due to this visibility and support, we made advances in societal acceptance in such a short period. WE ARE your sons and daughters; your mother and father, your brother and sister; your boss and your employee. More importantly, we are citizens of this nation deserving of the same rights as everyone else.
Pride helped us achieve that by providing time each year to reflect, rejoice and mourn; reflect on the accomplishments and the work that still needs to be done; rejoice about all we have to be thankful for, and; mourn the losses we suffer as a community, whether it be loss of life, loss of rights or the bigotry we face, even right here in our backyard of Florida. But more than anything
SA: Amazing accomplishment! I was one of the lucky early LGBTQ Advisory Board members tasked by then-Mayor Matti Bower (and others) to create a Pride function on Miami Beach. We gathered and met for a full year planning that first nascent April Sunday parade and Expo. Cindy Brown and her event company were hired to bring it together, and who would have thought some 15 years later that Miami Beach Pride would establish itself as one of the best Pride events globally. I was a board member of Miami Beach Pride for many years, and it gives me great satisfaction to see how well the organization functions and the quality of the week’s programming. It takes a lot of support, volunteerism, and collaboration to pull off an event of this magnitude every year. It also takes a lot of financial planning and skill because so many resources must be expended before Pride even takes place.
RC: Is there anything else you would like to share with Wire Magazine readers?
SA: It takes good and honest people to make Pride happen. I am very proud of our City of Miami Beach staff, our MB Police Department, the Mayor and Commissioners, and most importantly, all of you! Without all your support and friendship, there would be no Pride. Thank you to all the businesses who support DEI (Diversity, Equity & Inclusion) and lead the way forward in equality policy. Thank you to my wonderful husband of 23 years and my chamber family. You make every day beautiful.
