Lesbians from all corners of the country ventured to the inaugural Girls in Wonderland beach party this past weekend to celebrate love and equality in a true Floridian paradise.
For anyone who’s celebrated Girls in Wonderland (GIW) before, the iconic festival made its debut on the stunning beaches of St. Petersburg, Florida, after upholding a nearly two-decade-long history in Orlando.
Tampa and St. Petersburg have experienced a gay renaissance in the last decade. With rapid urban development and a constant influx of people moving to the sunshine state, St. Pete beach was the perfect place to make a central/West Florida debut.
Celebrity sightings were abundant, too. This year brought legendary comedians, queer influencers, YouTubers, and a few cast sightings like Cuppie Bragg of Amazon Prime’s original lesbian reality series, Tampa Baes.
The three-day event kicked off October 7th with a private beach happy hour at the PostCard Inn, the host hotel right on the sandy beaches of St. Pete. True to GIW form, the first night also featured a special comedy show with award-winning comedian and actress Jen Kober.
Girls in Wonderland – the party that may not have happened
Despite the extremely close call of Hurricane Ian just a week and a half before, spirits were high and the energy was extremely joyous. Had the storm hit closer to St. Petersburg as it was once predicted, the scene would have been completely different.
Photos by Miné Salkin
A Place For Making Memories
Girls in Wonderland is all about making connections, reuniting with friends, and forging memories for the rest of your lifetime.
“I wasn’t 100% sure this party would happen,” said one attendee by the poolside. “But we’re lucky it did. This GIW feels like a more intimate experience, and the serenity of the gulf waters just makes it feel like you escaped to paradise.”
Partygoers enjoyed the greatest musical stylings of DJ ZEHNO, DJ Citizen Jane, DJ Pat Pat, DJ Aileen, and more, also with live Vixen dance performances on the stages.
Partying with a Purpose
Founded in 1998, Pandora Events is led by Alison Burgos, Amy Alonso, and Yesenia Leon. The three entrepreneurs stand behind a number of charities and initiatives supporting the queer community, with proceeds of their events going directly to uplift and enrich the groups across the nation.
Pandora benefits several nonprofits including the National Center for Lesbian Rights, the Aqua Foundation for Women, the HRC, Care Resource, NVEEE, and the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force.
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