2 The Official Mag : AmbushMag.com Feb. 21-Mar ch 13, 2017 Of ficial Gay Mar di Gras Guide GayMar digras.com 21-March Official Mardi GayMardiGras.com
GayEasterParade.com SouthernDecadence.com Feb. 21-March ch 13, 2017 Facebook.com/AmbushMag The Official Mag : AmbushMag.com 3
the "official" dish THE OFFICIAL MAG by Rip & Marsha Naquin-Delain Email: ripna@ambushmag.com 53rd Annual Bourbon Street Awards Stars World Famous Bianca Del Rio & Varla Jean Merman; Prizes Worth $2,500 World famous Bianca Del Rio and Varla Jean Merman will MC the 53rd Annual Bourbon Street Awards. Set for Mardi Gras day, February 28 at 12noon, Wood Enterprises brings us this fantastic contest! The ultimate costume contest is sponsored by Good Friends Bar, Cafe Lafitte in Exile, Rawhide 2010, Clover Grill, Mary's Ace French Quarter Hardware, Ambush Magazine, Whitney Bank, Fire Ball, Red Bull, Bud Light, French Quarter Realty, and Glazer's Distributors. In 2017, the awards returns to where it all began to Wood Enterprises. This year the stage will be in the 900 block of St. Ann at the corner of Dauphine Streets, outside of Good Friends Bar with the stage facing towards Bourbon Street. (www.gaymardigras.com/bbb.htm) Contest award prizes are worth a total of $2,500! Categories include: Best Drag, Best Leather, and Best Group with 1st place in each category winning $500 cash and trophy. The Best Overall Costume, the grandest award of all, garners a whopping $1,000 cash prize and trophy plus trophy for runner-up. Pre-contestant registration will be at Good Friends Bar, 940 Dauphine, on Lundi Gras, Feb. 27 from 12noon-4pm. Mardi Gras Day registration will be at Rawhide 2010 beginning at 10am. Contestant line-up is on St. Ann from Rawhide towards Dauphine. The 53rd Annual Bourbon Street Awards will be The Best Free Show of Mardi Gras. It is followed at 2pm by the 30th Official Gay Mardi Gras Bead Toss (www.gaymardigras.com/kcq) at the Ambush Mansion. The Trade Name, Service Mark, Bourbon Street Awards is being used by permission by the John L. Chisholm Family Trust. King Cake Queen Issues Proclamation, Will Lead 30th Gay Mardi Gras Bead Toss The Proclamation celebrating the 68th Gay Mardi Gras has been issued by King Cake Queen XXIII of Gay Mardi Gras Monica Synclaire-Kennedy. Reigning as the Pride Queen of 2017, Synclaire-Kennedy's edict reads, "Her Imperial Majesty sends greetings and announces with pleasure her invitation for all to gather from near and far and join in the many celebrations under the Rainbow Banner of the 68th Gay Mardi Gras leading up to the 30th Gay Mardi Gras Bead Toss February 28, 2pm, at the Ambush Mansion, 828 Bourbon Street." The Krewe of Queenateenas will host the 30th Annual Gay Mardi Gras Bead Toss with the theme, "PRIDELICIOUS: Rainbows, Stars & Stilettos!" Fifty invited guests will gather at the Ambush Mansion tossing thousands of beads to revelers on Mardi Gras day. The King Cake Queen will be joined by King Cake King and inside celebrazzi/easter grand marshals 6 moments in gay new orleans history 10 snap paparazzi/new orleans 12 snap paparazzi/new orleans 14 30th gay mardi gras bead toss 16 53rd bourbon street awards 17 under the gaydar 18 trodding the boards 20 18th gay easter parade 21 St. Patrick's Day, Mardi Gras Highlights issue out March 14, DEADLINE: March 7 classifieds 24-25 real estate 25 a community within communities 26 out front 26 ambush paparazzi/new orleans 28 foodilicious/metairie, nola 30 AD INFO: Call 504.522.8049 ripna@ambushmag.com Gulf South LGBT+ Entertainment/Travel Guide Since 1982 828-A Bourbon St. New Orleans, LA 70116-3137 504.522.8049 ripna@ambushmag.com King Cake Queen XXIII Monica Synclaire-Kennedy The Pride Queen of 2017 Krewe de la Rue Royale Revelers' Grand Reveler III Napoleon "Rip" Naquin. For more information, visit www.gaymardigras.com/kcq. Top 20 Picks for Gay Carnival 2017 Catch a bit of everything Gay Carnival has to offer leading up to Mardi Gras, Feb. 28! Ambush Magazine has chosen its "Top 20 Picks" for 2017! 1] Don't miss out on our exciting New Orleans culinary choices at Ambush's best bets: Mumbo Gumbo @ Chef Ron's Gumbo Stop & Pub, 2309 N. Causeway Blvd., Metairie; Boudin Burger @ Cheezy Cajun, 3325 St. Claude Ave.; house made Cheese Burger & Onion Rings @ Clover Grill, 900 Bourbon St.; Sloppy Roast Beef Po-Boy @ Gene's Po-Boys & Daquiris, 1040 Elysian Fields Ave.; Stuffed Bell Pepper Special @ Ilys Bistro, 1040 Elysian Fields Ave.; Mona Lisa Special Pizza @ Mona Lisa Restaurant, 1212 Royal St.; Oysters Earl @ Orleans Grapevine Wine Bar & Bistro, 720 Orleans; and New Orleans Muffuletta @ Quartermaster: The Nellie Deli, 1100 Bourbon St. 2] Take the Gay New Orleans Walking Tour by Crescent City Tour Booking Agency by appointment, 638 St. Ann St. Wednesday, Feb. 22nd 3] 12noon, This Mardi Gras Drink Where The Locals Drink @ The Double Play, 439 Dauphine St. 4] 5pm, Get a Hand Grenade @ Tropical Isle, 721 Bourbon St. 5] 10pm, Famous Wet Jockey Shorts Contest @ The Corner Pocket, 940 St. Louis St. Thursday, Feb. 23rd 6] 9pm,Ru Paul's All Stars' Roxxxy Andrews @ The Four Seasons, 3229 N. Causeway, Metairie 7] 9pm, Special Mardi Gras Black Out Party @ Rawhide 2010, 740 Burgundy St. 8] 12midnight, Mardi Gras Strip 4 The Official Mag : AmbushMag.com Feb. 21-March ch 13, 2017 Official ficial Gay Mardi di Gras Guide GayMardiGras.com Facebook.COM/AmbushMag Gulf South Entertainment/Travel Guide Since 1982 Texas-Florida Official Gay Easter Parade Guide Official Gay Mardi Gras Guide Official Gay New Orleans Guide Official Pride Guide Official Southern Decadence Guide AWARD WINNING: Saints & Sinners Literary Festival Hall of Fame/2015, Louisiana Excellence Award: Media & Internet/2014, New Orleans Print Media Award/2014, 25th NO/AIDS Task Force Humanitas Award/2013, New Orleans Print Media Award/2013, Krewe of Mwindo Media Honoree/2009, Krewe of Petronius Carnival Spirit of Gay Mardi Gras XLVIII Award/2009, Forum For Equality Acclaim Awards X Media Recipient/2008, NO/AIDS Task Force Prometheus Torch of Truth [media] Award/2001 OFFICE/SHIPPING ADDRESS: 828-A Bourbon St., New Orleans, LA 70116-3137 USA OFFICE HOURS: 10am-3pm Monday-Friday [Except Holidays] Email: ripna@ambushmag.com PHONE: 1.504.522.8049 ANNUAL READERSHIP OVER 1 MILLION: 260,000+ in print/780,000+ On-line CIRCULATION: Alabama-Mobile Florida - Pensacola Louisiana - Baton Rouge, Lafayette, Lake Charles, Metairie, New Orleans, Slidell Mississippi - Bay St. Louis, Biloxi STAFF: PUBLISHER/EDITOR R. Rip Naquin, New Orleans PRODUCTION DIRECTOR M. Marsha Delain, New Orleans GULF SOUTH/NEW ORLEANS AD SALES Rip Naquin 504.522.8049 Paul Melancon THEATRE/PERFORMING ARTS CRITIC Brian Sands AD REPS/JOURNALISTS/PHOTOGRAPHERS Misti Gaiter, Tony Leggio, Hubert S Monkeys, Felicia Phillips, Frank Perez, Rev. Bill Terry-New Orleans MIss Cie, Leon Weekley-Mobile, AL National Advertising Rep: Rivendell Media 212.242.6863 Ambush Mag is published on alternate Tuesdays of each month by Ambush, Inc., R. Rip Naquin- Delain, President. Advertising, Copy & Photo DEAD- LINE is alternate Tuesdays, 4pm, prior to publication week, accepted via e-mail only: marsha@ripandmarsha.com, except for special holidays. The Publisher assumes no responsibility for the claims of advertisers and has the right to reject any advertising. The inclusion of an individual's name or photograph in this publication implies nothing about that individual's sexual orientation. Letters, stories, etc., appearing herein are not necessarily the opinion of the Publisher or Staff of AMBUSH Mag. Subscription rate is $45 for 1/2 Year; $75 for 1 year. Sample Copy is $3 First Class Mail. 1982-2017 AMBUSH, INC., ALL RIGHTS RE- SERVED. NOTHING HEREIN MAY BE REPRO- DUCED WITHOUT WRITTEN PERMISSION OF THE PUBLISHER INCLUDING AD LAYOUTS, MAPS and PHOTOS. AMgrant - AMbush Advertising Grant Donation Off, wiin $300 in cash with host Persana Shoulders @ Oz, 800 Bourbon St. Friday, Feb. 24th 9] 8pm, Friday Night Before Mardi Gras 2017 Ball: Hollywood Gone Bad @ The Cannery, 3803 Toulouse St. 10] 10pm, Bayou Boylesque starring ALL 5 Scorpio Boys @ GrandPre's, 834 N. Rampart 11] 10pm, Dancin' til Dawn @ The Page, 542 N. Rampart 12] 11pm, Mardi Gras with Jake Mitchell on stage @ The Phoenix, 941 Elysian Fields Saturday, Feb. 25th [continued on 8]
GayEasterParade.com SouthernDecadence.com Feb. 21-March ch 13, 2017 Facebook.com/AmbushMag The Official Mag : AmbushMag.com 5