Rhinestone Cowboys

There's nothing like a good, old-fashioned hoedown. Country music blaring as the dance floor fills with men and women following a set of choreographed steps. Cowboy hats and boots as far as the eye can see. Guys with chiseled abs that peek through their unbuttoned, sleeveless flannel shirts, exposing oversized belt buckles glistening beneath the friscalating lights of an oversized disco ball. Women do-si-doing one another as rainbow-colored bandannas swing from their pockets. Then you realize this might not be your typical Achy Breaky Heart country get-together. But other than the fact that this weekend's Spring Break Hoedown is hosted by Southern Country South Florida, the area's oldest and largest organization dedicated to promoting country-Western dance in the gay and lesbian community, everything is straight... er... pure country.

Yee-haw! This is how the West was fun!

Details

Thursday, March 24, through Sunday, March 27. Registration costs $100. Visit www.SouthernCountrySouthFlorida.org/hoedown.

Fort Lauderdale Marina Marriott Hotel, 1881 SE 17th St. Cswy., Fort Lauderdale.

Related Content

• Five Guys Burgers and Fries Opens Clematis Location
  April 30, 2012
• Palm Beaches Restaurant Week is June 3 to 9: Here's a List of Participating Restaurants
  May 14, 2012
• Set Your Goals at Speakeasy Lounge on April 16
  April 12, 2012
• New Times Best of Broward/Palm Beach Readers' Poll 2012 -- the Hack-Proof Version
  April 4, 2012
• More Than a Dozen Killed in South Florida Car Accidents
  March 19, 2012

More About

• International Association of Gay/Lesbian Country Western Dance Clubs
• GLBT Issues
• Suicide

Like this Story?

Sign up for the Events Newsletter: What's happening in town? From underground club nights to the biggest outdoor festivals, our top picks for the week's best events will always keep you in on the action.

Privacy Policy Cancel Continue

The hoedown is the semiannual convention of the International Association of Gay/Lesbian Country Western Dance Clubs, better-known by its ridiculously long abbreviation, IAGLCWDC. Fort Lauderdale is the ideal backdrop for the more than 300 dancers from around the world who will converge for the four-day event, especially considering that nearby Wilton Manors has recently been recognized as one of the nation's most bustling gay communities.

There are workshops available for dancers at every level to brush up on their skills with some of the best country dance instructors from around the world. For more advanced dancers, there are competitions for individuals and teams to contend for honors in two-step, waltz, swing, line dance, and more. There are also workshops and parties with proceeds benefiting the Comprehensive AIDS Program in Palm Beach County, the Gay and Lesbian Community Center of South Florida, and Project Yes, a youth suicide prevention program. Similar events hosted by Southern Country South Florida have raised nearly $30,000 for charity.