Calle Ocho in the heart of Miami’s vibrant Little Havana district is going gay. Well if truth be told, they are actually mounting a one day Festival to celebrate the area’s growing diversity which is starting to include a significant LGBT community.
The first ever Gay8 Festival will celebrate LGBT art, music and culture Calle Ocho between 14th and 17th Avenues this coming Sunday January 17th in what is hoped will become an annual event. Damian Pardo the event organizer told “The Miami Herald” that the idea behind mounting this was because “it’s time to shatter the the mythology that LGBT are unwelcome ad unsafe in the area”
As well as music from local bands such as Palo, Suénalo, and the Spam Allstars, Gay8 will also will also feature a number of events surrounding the street festival – including dance parties, food tastings, a mini-film festival, cigar tastings and pop-up art performances.
Miami and South Beach have a long-held cherished reputation for it’s inclusiveness of all its wonderfully diverse local community and tourists, and for having a great deal of fun too. Gay8 is now set to ensure that Little Havana is now part of that mix too.
Photographs : Felix Becerra
