Women’s FEST is here!
Women’s FEST weekend is here! Kicking off Thursday, April 25, over 25 events will take over Rehoboth Beach full of fun, entertainment, spring, and tradition. CAMP Rehoboth invites readers to welcome the hundreds of women attending this year’s festivities.
Available at all Women’s FEST venues this weekend is a chance to win an incredible riverboat cruise, “A Taste of France.” This Provence & Burgundy riverboat cruise will sail August 27-September 3, 2024; the winner will enjoy a deluxe stateroom for two. This trip is a first-of-its-kind donation from Women’s FEST Diamond Sponsor Olivia Travel.
Gracing the cover of this issue is Women’s FEST headliner Lea DeLaria, and opener Crys Matthews; both will deliver an unforgettable night of entertainment at the Rehoboth Beach Convention Center on Friday, April 26. For a sampling of other FEST events, see page 12. ▼
Joe Dombrowski Set to Headline SUNFESTIVAL
CAMP Rehoboth’s annual Labor Day weekend fundraiser, SUNFESTIVAL, is excited to announce comedian Joe Dombrowski as its headline entertainment. Joe will bring his hilarious set to the Rehoboth Beach Convention Center stage on Saturday, August 31.
Joe Dombrowski took the world by storm in 2017 with a viral April Fools’ Day spelling test prank that landed him multiple appearances on the Ellen DeGeneres Show. Don't get it twisted though! It takes at least 20 years to be an overnight sensation. Joe has been doing stand-up comedy since his third-grade talent show.
Since Joe's rise to fame, he has been traveling the globe with his stand-up comedy, which often highlights his outrageous family dynamics and his time as an elementary school teacher. Joe has been featured as a headlining act at the Just for Laughs comedy festival in Montreal and the New York comedy festival and will also be headlining two shows in the 2024 Netflix Is a Joke Fest at The Hollywood Improv.
When he’s not getting creative on stages and screens, Joe spends his time in Seattle, Washington, producing his podcast, Social Studies, where he recaps outlandish stories from fans all over the country.
More SUNFESTIVAL news: World-renowned DJs Robbie Leslie and Joe Gauthreaux are returning for six hours of dancing and celebrating on Sunday, September 1.
Stay tuned for more announcements about this year’s SUNFESTIVAL and ticket sales at camprehoboth.com/sunfestival. ▼
Mark Your Calendars!
Pride Film Festival Sets the Dates
In partnership with CAMP Rehoboth, the Rehoboth Beach Film Society presents the Pride Film Festival, set for June 14 through 16 at the Cinema Art Theater in Lewes.
The second annual festival will be headlined by Jim Fall, with a 25th anniversary retrospective screening of his 1999 feature, Trick, starring Tori Spelling, Christian Campbell, John Paul Pitoc, Brad Beyer, and Miss Coco Peru. Jim Fall’s film credits include multiple shorts, made-for-TV movies, and The Lizzie Maguire Movie (2003).
The 2024 Pride Film Festival Planning Committee is actively reviewing potential film titles ranging from documentaries, features, shorts, and foreign titles. The final slate of Festival titles will be published in late-April.
Find out more about this year’s festivities and sponsorship opportunities at camprehoboth.com. ▼
Welcome, Kraig!
Kraig Turner has joined the CAMP Rehoboth team as a Data Management Consultant. In this position, Kraig will be helping to manage CAMP Rehoboth’s data platform on DonorPerfect. Having made the full transition to DonorPerfect last fall, CAMP Rehoboth is excited to have Kraig’s expertise in asset management to enhance the giving experience for members, sponsors, and all who support CAMP Rehoboth.
“What gives me the most joy about this position is that I am able to give back to a community in a way that comes naturally,” said Kraig. “My excitement working with data brings a new challenge each day as I continue to grow my skills.”
Kraig moved to Rehoboth Beach just last fall, accompanying his husband, Joe Gfaller, when Joe became Managing Director at Clear Space Theatre Company. Welcome, Kraig! ▼
Join the Brotherly Love
Tickets are still available for the upcoming shows by the Philadelphia Gay Men’s Chorus (PGMC) at CAMP Rehoboth’s Elkins-Archibald Atrium on May 4 at 4:00 p.m. and 8:00 p.m. The select ensemble of the PGMC is called BROLO, short for Brotherly Love. Featured songs include selections from the PGMC’s recent Sing-A-Long Concert, SING OUT LOUISE!, featuring songs from Broadway shows such as Tick, Tick, Boom, Hamilton, Jagged Little Pill, In The Heights, and Wicked. The show runs 75 minutes with no intermission.
Tickets are on sale now at camprehoboth.com. ▼
Queering Rehoboth Beach
On June 1, CAMP Rehoboth will host a book launch event for James Sears’s Queering Rehoboth Beach. Sears’s book chronicles the rise of the LGBTQ+ community in Rehoboth Beach, and its history through the early 2000s.
“It’s important to understand our past so that we can know how to chart our future,” said CAMP Rehoboth Executive Director Kim Leisey about the book and its launch. The event on June 1 will kick off at CAMP Rehoboth at 7:00 p.m. After a discussion of the history of LGBTQ+ life in Rehoboth Beach, conversation will open up to the community to talk about what’s transpired since the early 2000s, and what lies ahead. ▼
Thank you, Rehoboth Beach Bears!
CAMP Rehoboth extends its gratitude to the Rehoboth Beach Bears for their generous donation to our Do More 24 campaign. With a gift of $2,500, the Rehoboth Beach Bears contributed the largest donation during the 24-hour online fundraising day. The Bears’ donations will help CAMP Rehoboth continue to Create A More Positive Rehoboth and beyond! ▼
Save the Date
PRISM’s Next Happy Hour
PRISM, CAMP Rehoboth’s young professionals group, offers opportunities for young professionals (and those young at heart) to meet other like-minded professionals, network, and support each other. Join us for our May happy hour at the Aqua Bar & Grill on Friday, May 3, from 5:30-7:30 p.m. ▼
Giving Blood and Giving Life
On Saturday, May 11, CAMP Rehoboth is partnering with the Blood Bank of Delmarva for a blood drive. This partnership follows last year’s lifting of the FDA’s ban on blood donations from men who have sex with men (MSMs). Appointments are available to register for “WB—Whole Blood” or “AR—Double Red” slots at camprehoboth.com. ▼
– Travels with Letters –
Hawaii
Rob Mapou