Last weekend we were in Miami for the annual Winter Party Festival which features dozens of events, from cocktail parties, to stage shows, to health advocacy programs. The festival had more than 10,000 attendees over six days with beats, body, sun and fun. The theme — With Open Arms — focused on the organization’s dedication to making the Festival a welcoming environment for all.
This year’s Festival was another major success, including two massive parties at the James L. Knight Center in downtown Miami, Saturday’s day party at Nikki Beach Club, and Sunday’s crown jewel main event on the sands of South Beach. Other highlights included appearances by RuPaul’s Drag Race All Stars season one winner Chad Michaels , as well as actor and musician Jai Rodriguez (best known as the culture guide on the Emmy-winning reality show Queer Eye for the Straight Guy).
The Festival wouldn’t be possible if it wasn’t for the help of dozens of volunteers who work year-round to coordinate the event. “We have an Executive Committee of 14 people that leads the Festival committee of roughly 90 volunteers,” Festival Chair Rene Wolfensberger explained in a statement. “They work year round to plan and ensure that the festival is a fun celebration. And during the week of the Festival we are recruiting around 500 volunteers who execute what the committee has planned. Volunteers are the reason this event runs so smoothly, and their personalities and uniqueness makes this event so amazing and successful year after year.”
