This weekend is Memorial Day weekend. Some know it as a time when we pay tribute to those in our armed forces, and some — most — see it as another of the precious few three day weekends we get a year.
And because some of us can't afford that Las Vegas getaway, or just hate our spending time with the family, there’s always plenty of debauchery filled events happening in South Florida. From pool parties to fetish parties, here are some of the best Memorial Day parties going down this weekend.
You may want to stash some Advil in your stapler now, because you're probably doing to have to wear your sunglasses to work on Tuesday.
Fetish Factory's 20 Year Anniversary Fetish Weekend
6 p.m. Thursday, May 21, through Sunday, May 25, at Fetish Factory, 855 E Oakland Park Blvd, Fort Lauderdale. Buy tickets. Visit Facebook.
Who says Fifty Shades of Grey has to end when you close your legs, er, kindle? We’re kicking off this list with one of the freakiest set of parties in South Florida courtesy of Fetish Factory. You do the math: Four days plus eight parties equals a whole lot of freakiness. Here are some sample parties for you to chew on: Thursday offers a “chill lounge” party with a form of karaoke called kinkyeoke at the Renaissance Pool & Lounge. Friday will have a Beat & Greet Fetish Party at Sapphire. Saturday is the biggest party of all with an Anniversary Fetish Ball at Vault Nightclub, boasting over 1000 attendees in previous years. And Sunday, according to the Facebook event, promises to be a nasty affair with “no fucks given” at Goldfinger & Ultimate Lounge.
Memorial Day Weekend at Stache and Revolution Live
10 p.m. Saturday, May 23, at Bar Stache 1920's Drinking Den, 109 SW 2nd Ave, Fort Lauderdale. $14.50 cover, 21+. Visit Facebook.
Downtown Fort Lauderdale is celebrating Memorial Day with some of South Florida's best DJs. Attendees of this party — which is taking place at two locations: Stache and Revolution Live — can look forward to performances by DJ Oscar G and Roland in Stache, while Icey and BabyAnne spin across the street at Revolution. The $14.50 cover is way less than any Miami mega-club is charging, so you should probably stay north this weekend.
Misty Eyez "Trannie Palace"
10:30 p.m. Sunday, May 24, through Monday, May 25, at Bill's Filling Station, 2209 Wilton Drive, Wilton Manors Visit bbarandgrille.com/Calendar.
Local and fabulous drag queen Misty Eyez will be bringing the sass, laughs, and of course, glamour to this event. And it’s inevitable she'll bring her friends along too. Ladies, don’t be jealous if these performers look better than you do — it's their job!
Great American Beach Party
10 a.m. to 8:30 p.m. Fort Lauderdale Beach, A1A and Las Olas Blvd. No cover. Visit fortlauderdale.gov for more info.
Memorial Day is, after all, about celebrating our country. So at least this party has the word "American" in its title. Live music will be provided by The Castaways, Six Foot Swell Surfband, Weedline, Tom Jackson, and headliner The Fabulous Thunderbirds. There will also be a tribute to the U.S. Armed Forces, a sand castle contest, classic car show, art show, life-size beach games and more. Just don’t get so drunk you pass out face down in the sand – there will be kids here, and no dad wants to answer the question: "Papa, why is that man with a tribal tattoo sleeping on my sand castle?"
Memorial Day at Peanut Island
Peanut Island is a 79-acre round island in front of the Lake Worth Inlet. On any other day, it's a great spot for a family to drive their boat to for a tiny vacation. But on Memorial Day Weekend it turns into Gilligan's Island meets Jersey Shore. Peanut Island is only accessible by boat, so you'll want to either find a friend with one, or start building a raft.
Bring beer and be safe. Palm Beach County Police have been increasing their presence around this boozy little island to cut down on the drunken buffoonery. But you're one of the responsible ones. Right? Good.
Mix Master Mike at Honey
8 p.m. Sunday, May 24, at Honey, 16 E Atlantic Ave, Delray Beach. Tickets cost $15. Visit Honeydelray.com for more info.
The most happening place to be this Memorial Day weekend might not be poolside or by the beach, but in downtown Delray Beach, where Mix Master Mike — who's often hailed as one of the greatest DJs of all time — will be throwing down at Honey to headline the lounge's old-school-style Memorial party on Sunday, May 24.
America’s Backyard
8 p.m. Sunday, May 24, at America's Backyard, 100 Southwest 3rd Ave, Fort Lauderdale. $20 open bar from 10 p.m. to midnight. Visit Facebook for more info.
Double check to see if you have work off on Monday, because you’re going to need a day of recuperation after this party. With a $20 open bar from starting at 10 p.m. until midnight, you'll be hitting all the high notes in "The Star-Spangled Banner" by 11:30. Bring your military ID and get a free drink.
Memorial Day Weekend Bash at Vibe
10 p.m. Thursday, May 21, through Monday, May 25, at Vibe Las Olas, 301 E Las Olas Blvd, Fort Lauderdale. Reserve VIP tables or add your name to the guest list at vibe.urvenue.com. Visit Facebook.
With Vibe’s party schedule, your Memorial Day weekend plans are taken care of. Thursday is ladies night with DJ Kyle Desouza while Throttle Fridays will be featuring DJ Serafin. Head over on Saturday to see Goshfather & Jinco, and close the week out with DJ Nikko Calor on Sunday. Needless to say, there are good vibes coming from Vibe this whole week. God bless America.