Oaklash Week is Here! 🎉

by Mama Celeste

Is your hydration IV drip kicking in? Have you done your collagen mask yet? Got a sweet little twink rubbing your feet? Well get your self care in NOW because we’ve got a marathon for you of parties and events all week long that you’re going to want to be fully emotionally and physically prepared for.

Thousands of people are coming to Oakland from all over the country for our ninth annual festival and you’re gonna be the hottest and best dressed one there, I just know it!

THURSDAY 5/14 - Used Clown Emporium @ Stork Club

The House of Libations & TSlur Thursdays are giving you everything you didn’t know your dirty little heart desired - clowns, strippers, and even clown strippers! It’s an Oaklash Fundraiser so bring your dollar bills and make it rain!

9PM til Late • $15 at the door • 21+

FRIDAY 5/15 - DO NOT BLEACH @ Sudzee Laundry

This year we decided to hand over our Friday & Sunday festival weekend programs to whoever could pitch us the most novel event ideas and there was no way we weren’t giving a $1000 grant to someone trying to throw a rave at a laundromat. Our O-SNAP! fellow Euphemia and DJ Queer Mom are gonna be keeping the decks on Spin Cycle all night. No loads refused!

9PM - 1:30AM • $12 presale or at the door • 21+

SATURDAY 5/16 - Oaklash Block Party @ Old Oakland

It’s the queerest party of the year and you’ve been waiting so patiently for it to come back around since the last one. This year we have two stages running simultaneously all day — our Main Stage with some of the best queer and trans performers from all over the country and a Party Stage with some of your favorite local DJs. Bring dollar bills to tip your performers and a high credit limit card to explore all of our amazing art, fashion, food, and bar vendors.

1PM - 8PM • $20 Suggested Donation • NOTAFLOF • All Ages • ASL Interpreted

SATURDAY 5/16 - Oaklash Official After Party @ Crybaby

Party don’t stop! After the block party you can hop just one BART station down to Telegraph Ave for a full night of DJs, dancing, and pop up drag on the hour. You can also purchase a Meet & Greet upgrade to get a picture with our festival headliners Aja & King Molasses or get some Brazilian food out on the back patio.

7:30PM - 1:30AM • $20 Suggested Donation • NOTAFLOF • 21+ • ASL Interpreted

And if you want to skip the line at our festival and get access to our 21+ VIP lounge at the block party you can also…

SUNDAY 5/17 - Pili Pili @ Night Heron

Our second O-SNAP! event of the weekend is a sonic celebration of the Black diaspora — Curated cocktails, Jamaican food, Afrobeats, Amapiano, and booties shaking. Pili Pili is Swahili for “pepper” so you know this party is going to be HOT!

3PM - 8PM • $10 before 5PM, $15 General Admission • 21+

Sounds like you’ve got a busy weekend ahead of you! But what are you gonna wear?!

Before we jump into a full week of programs, I wanna give one last special shout out to my team who’s been holding it down while I recover from an emergency appendectomy last week. There’s never a good time to take a trip to the ER but a week before our biggest event of the year is especially unfortunate, and I’m glad to be on the mend especially because I was able to rest knowing that there are so many amazing people holding things down behind the scenes for the festival <3

We’ve been working towards distributed leadership here at Oaklash for a few years now and I want to give credit where credit is due so you know who is really putting on this behemoth of an annual event! If you see them running around on Saturday, make sure to give a big thank you to our Program Manager Hands; our Admin Coordinator Sally Limòn; our Outreach Coordinator Pop Rox; our Operations Coordinator Dustin Ordway; Stage Managers Casey Pecker, Janesta Edmonds, and Vanessa Hernandez; Exhibitor Coordinator MASHALLAH; Volunteer Coordinator Meme Cherry; Gate Coordinator Holden Wood; Accessibility Coordinator Sir Vesa; Artist in Resident and Stage Designer Evian; O-SNAP! Coordinator and Board President Charles Hawthorne and the rest of our amazing board along with so many more assistants, gate workers, security, ASL interpreters, AV technicians, and volunteers who bring this event to life!

It really do take a village!