Now that we’ve all gorged ourselves on turkey and shopping, I think we can all agree: This is what Thanksgiving should be all about.
Something to be thankful for
Youth First Texas’ most popular event of the year, Thanksgiving dinner, is tonight
Thanksgiving dinner at Youth First Texas is usually the busiest day of the year at the agency serving LGBT youth.
The 13-year tradition takes place this year on Thursday, Nov. 15 — which is this evening — at the YFT center at 3918 Harry Hines Boulevard.
“Alumni, youth and volunteers come out the of the woodwork for it,” said YFT board President Chris-James Cognetta.
Doors open at 4 p.m. for food preparation. Dinner begins at about 6:30 p.m. and runs until close at 9:30 p.m. The dinner is free and is donated and cooked by volunteers.
“This may be the only Thanksgiving they have,” Cognetta said of the youth who attend.
He said a number of youth have aged out of the foster system and have no other family.
YFT is also looking for a volunteer to open the center on Thanksgiving night — Thursday, Nov. 22. (If you’re at least 25 and interested in volunteering call 214-879-0400 ext. 203.)
Cognetta said he also plans to have the center open at least part of the day on Christmas.
“Some of our youth get very depressed that day,” he said.
Spend Thanksgiving with Lady Gaga
Ga ga gobble gobble
After the traditional turkey and pumpkin pie have been gobbled up, the next tradition is to plop in front of the TV for the rest of the day. For music fans and little monsters, ABC will air A Very Gaga Thanksgiving which the network describes as “an intimate look inside the life of Lady Gaga as she performs, in front of a small audience, eight songs including a duet with guest Tony Bennett.” As seen in the clip, she performs “Bad Romance” with what looks like a mutant sweet potato microphone.
DEETS: WFAA-TV Channel 8. 8:30 p.m. ABC.com.
Thanksgiving weekend at Cedar Creek Lake
I know there are a lot of LGBT folks in the Metroplex who have weekend/vacation homes down south on Cedar Creek Lake, and I am sure there are others who plan on spending their long holiday weekend in that area with friends and family. And that’s not even counting all the LGBTs who live on the lake full time.
So if you will be spending Thanksgiving and the weekend on the lake and are looking for something fun to do once all the turkey is gone, checkout Friends, one of two LGBT bars in Gun Barrel City.
Friends, 410 S. Gun Barrel Lane, opens early on Thanksgiving Day, with football playing on the big screens and a big Thanksgiving Dinner served at 6 p.m. Leo and the gang will supply the turkey and all the trimmings, but those coming to share the meal are welcome to bring their own side dishes, too.
Friends also continues its food drive through the holiday weekend, in support the American Legion Post 310′s annual Christmas basket program for families in need. So if you have some extra canned goods or dry goods in your pantry, or if you want to pick up some extra when you go shopping, be sure to take them over and drop them off at the bar.
Then you can wind up the weekend Saturday night with Friends’ annual Mr./Ms./Miss Cedar Creek Lake Pageant starting at 9 p.m.
The other LGBT club in town is called Garlow’s, so you might want to check them out, too, while you’re in town. Garlow’s is located at 309 E. Main St. in Gun Barrel City.
LISTEN: Soundclips from Lady Gaga’s holiday EP
If you haven’t decided yet on purchasing Lady Gaga’s A Very Gaga Holiday EP, why not take a quick preview here. She released four tracks yesterday which perfectly coincides with Thursday’s airing of A Very Gaga Thanksgiving on ABC. For Gaga, it was a rather quiet release.
These here are just snippets of the tracks but she’s sounding pretty good on the Christmas tunes “White Christmas” and “Orange Colored Sky.” The release also includes live versions of “You and I” and “The Edge of Glory.”
Thanksgiving Dinner at JR’s Bar and Grill
Thanksgiving can be a rough time for a lot of people. So many of us in the LGBT community have a less than stellar relationship with our families and for many people it’s just not economically feasible to travel for the holidays this year. (Or maybe you’re like me and the friend who invited you to Thanksgiving Dinner at his place canceled at the last minute.)
For all those without plans, or for those who need to escape their plans, there is the annual holiday meal at JR’s Bar and Grill. From 1:30 – 4:40 pm a full Thanksgiving feast with all the trimmings will be served by the fine people at Caven Enterprises. After 4:30 guests are still encouraged to stop by for complimentary coffee and desert.
JR’s Bar and Grill is located at 804 & 808 Pacific.
Thanksgiving Eve Dance with DJ Tristan Jaxx
Pre-dinner workout
DJ Tristan Jaxx will dole out the tunes for tonight’s Thanksgiving Eve Party. This is the perfect way to burn off some calories to make room for tomorrow’s big meal. That’ll be something to be thankful for in hindsight.
DEETS: The Brick, 2525 Wycliff Ave. Doors at 9 p.m. BrickDallas.com.
DFW Sisters stuffing the turkeys for charity
Members of the DFW Sisters will be out in force on Cedar Springs Wednesday night, Nov. 23, making their rounds with their turkey banks to raise funds to benefit “DFW Sisters’ mission towards safe sex education, community fundraising and sharing some LOVE!”
They will be out between 6 p.m. and 2 a.m., hitting all the bars along the Cedar Springs Strip before heading over to The Brick/Joe’s and Dallas Eagle. Then, if time permits, they’ll head back to the Strip.
So when keep your change handy and when you see a Sister on Wednesday night, stuff that turkey!
Don’t miss our 2011 Holiday Gift Guide and the online exclusives
We are officially in the midst of the holiday season. I mean seriously, where did Thanksgiving come from? That’s next week already. Of course, Thanksgiving means one thing — Black Friday. Before you head out to retailers at midnight, check out our 2011 Holiday Gift Guide for your shopping ideas. With items for the home, that special person and even for man’s best friend, we cover a wide array of gift giving ideas that run from stocking stuffers to helicopter rides.
But don’t stop there, we also have our 2011 HGG online exclusives posted here. Just some additional gifts to add to the mix. We’ll add to those with our Gift-a-Day posts that you’ll read about in the online exclusive list.
By the end of it all, we hope we’ve helped you out with your shopping list. And don’t forget to get you a little something for yourself.
Oak Lawn United Methodist Church to provide Thanksgiving meals to low-income families
The congregation of Oak Lawn United Methodist Church is teaming with Kroger on Cedar Springs Road to provide Thanksgiving meals to 50 local, low-income families. Associate Pastor Gregg Allan Smith reports:
Join us on Nov. 20th at noon as the Kroger trucks pull up in front of the historic church and the Kroger staff troops into the main sanctuary with 50 turkeys with all the fixins. The Oak Lawn congregation will pack the food into gift boxes to be given to the recipient families who will start arriving at around 1 p.m. If you would like more information about the Oak Lawn United Methodist Church “Community Table,” please call the Rev. Gregg Alan Smith at 469-995-6176 or e-mail to gregg.smith@olumc.org. You may also call David Edwards, facilities director, at 214-521-5197 ext. 204 or e-mail to david.edwards@olumc.org.
