Thousands of revelers are preparing to hop on a ferry to Fire Island Aug. 9-11 to attend the annual Pines Party, which consists of five main events over the course of three days of dancing and community — including an overnight beach party.
The music-filled weekend is guided by this year’s theme, Galactic Rodeo, which incorporates space-like elements throughout the festivities. This year represents the 25th anniversary of the Pines Party, which has existed in its current form since 1999. Its origins, however, date back more than four decades to a 1979 Fire Island Beach Party and a 1980s-era annual event to raise funds for GMHC in the fight against HIV/AIDS. The event is presented by The Pines Foundation & Free Radical Design Group.
Guy Smith, who serves as a producer of the Pines Party, told Gay City News in an interview on Aug. 5 that the Pines Party has evolved into a queer, inclusive community party with a focus on emerging music that folks may not hear at other events.
“This is not a circuit party,” Smith said. “It may have resembled one a long time ago.”
House, tech house, and techno music are all on the menu, and rather than seeking prominent mainstream music artists, the Pines Party organizers focus on incorporating talent from the nearby LGBTQ community.
“We tend to keep the performers to local community members, drag performers, dancers, and people who like to work on Broadway and lend their talent to it,” Smith explained. “We don’t tend to find a need to import big-name people because this is a community event.”
Key events
The weekend’s festivities begin on Friday evening with “Mission Control,” a VIP celebration beginning at 7 p.m. at 233 Bay Walk. That event will feature music by Steven Redant, Aaron Aanenson, and Jeff Hall.
The next event, “Sweet Home Andromeda,” is a Saturday afternoon pool party at 235 Beach Hill Walk. The four-hour party will have music by DJ Minx, Someone From Berlin, and Bare Naked.
The main event, the Pines Party, is a beach party beginning at 10 p.m. and continuing until 5 a.m. with music by Dennis Ferrer, Massimiliano Pagliara, and Dawson.
“Between the production, the music, the entertainment, just the whole setup, it’s really very unique,” Allan Baum, the executive producer of the Pines Party, told Gay City News. “The beach party is a very unique experience and really can’t be compared to any other event.”
The festivities continue with the morning party on Sunday morning at 5 a.m. at the Pavilion. That event will feature music by Calagna.
The weekend concludes on Sunday with “Set ‘Er Down Space Clown,” a closing party. David Harness and Tedd Patterson will provide music for the event, which is scheduled to take place from 3 p.m. to 8 p.m. at 235 Beach Hill Walk.
The Pines Party has always attracted huge crowds, but there is a limit on space given the narrow landscape of Fire Island. Organizers say about 950 people attended the event as of 2013, but now they cap it at 3,500. A Fire Island News article from 1979 shows that the original party drew nearly 4,000 people.
“On the dance floor you will find people who are 21 and you will find people who are 91,” Smith said.
Baum added: “This is the one night that the older generation out here actually goes out and, and, you know, lets loose.”
Fundraising and planning
The Pines Party is more than just a party. It also serves as a fundraiser for the Stonewall Community Foundation, a public foundation dedicated to the LGBTQ community; the Pines Foundation, which aims to preserve and protect Fire Island’s shore and uphold quality of life in the Pines; and the Fire Island Pines Seashore Defense Fund, which was created by the Fire Island Pines Property Owners’ Association to help preserve and maintain the beach.
Notably, Fire Island’s beach erosion has worsened over the years, making the fundraising aspect even more important as locals strive to protect the shore in the future.
Financial support, of course, is also necessary to maintain the Pines Party itself. Baum said it was on precarious financial footing when he started working on it a decade ago. But the introduction of more events as well as an auction and other revenue-driving initiatives helped to turn things around for the better.
Baum said the Pines Party has consistently brought in more than $300,000 annually and organizers are aiming to reach that mark this year yet again.
“When you look at the history of the party, we’ve raised over $4.3 million,” Baum said. “Of that, we’ve donated more than $1.4 million to the Stonewall Community Foundation.”
Baum and Smith said the process of producing the Pines Party takes an entire year and involves more than three dozen volunteers. A theme for the following year is usually discussed in October and organizers begin establishing contact with corporate sponsors to get the fundraising effort underway. The work to acquire talent is typically done during the fourth quarter and ticket sales usually launch in April.
“As you can see, it’s kind of sequenced — and certainly a year-round event,” Baum said.
For more information on the Pines Party, visit Pinesparty.com.
