FAT CAMP RETREAT, JULY 20-23 (MAPLE HILL, KS)
Okay, you know that episode from Shrill where Aidy Bryant’s character goes to the Fat Babe Pool Party? Now imagine that, but three days longer and gayer. Think Portland’s infamous Chunky Dunks meets gay summer camp. Fat Camp was created by Tayanna Nelson (owner, writer, and photographer behind Good Bodies) and Corissa Enneking (more commonly known online as Fat Girl Flow), who met in 2018. Pool parties, s’mores, speakers, and fat girl boudoir shoots are enticing, but the chance to come together in community like this is the real star of the show. (fatcampretreat.com)
LEZ CAMP, JULY 27-30 (EUREKA SPRINGS, AR)
Calling all outdoorsy dykes and REI couples (and those of us who were just a little too obsessed with Tie Dye Girl from the 1998 Parent Trap) it’s time for Lez Camp. Lez Camp is a four-day summer camp held in the Ozark mountains. This year’s itinerary features some summer camp staples with gay twists, like queer arts and crafts and the lez hike. There are also quite a few activities you probably weren’t signing up for at 4H camp: a queer erotica reading, a strap-on education workshop, and a slutty brunch, to name a few. We love Lez Camp, because spending hours making a friendship bracelet for a girl you just met that week is basically U-hauling, summer camp version. (lezsummercamp.com)
MICHIGAN FERN FEST, AUGUST 1-6 (HART, MI)
It feels appropriate that Michigan Fern Fest is held on the same land of what was the Michigan Womyn’s Music Festival, given that it feels like a phoenix rising from MWMF’s ashes. Michigan Fern Fest is also a queer women’s music festival in Hart, Michigan, created and hosted to foster connection and community for all women. MFF is very explicit about including anyone who feels attached to the identity and experience of being a woman, as well as building an event for Black, Indigenous, and other women of color and women with disabilities. Although Michigan Fern Fest is a relative newcomer to the queer women’s music festival lineup, it has proven to be a real tour de force, and this year will certainly be no exception. (michiganfernfest.com)
STARGAZE FESTIVAL, AUGUST 25-27 (TOLLAND, MA)
Part summer camp, part music festival, the Stargaze Festival is big enough to pull some real talent (like last year’s headliner, Mary Lambert). Yet it’s still small enough to feel intimate. Each of Camp Timber Trails’ 50 cabins sleeps up to 6 people, but their outdoor festival stage has room for more than 3,000 to enjoy. Be sure to pack your sports bras and board shorts because the campground also features a beach with a private swimming area, as well as kayaks, canoes, and paddleboards. Stargaze Festival is perfect for LGBTQ+ women looking for something a little more off the beaten path. (stargazefestival.com)
SUM OF US FEST, SEPTEMBER 14-17 (PINECREST, CA)
Some of us aren’t really looking for a wild weekend of raving and dancing. For some of us, there’s Sum of Us. Sum of Us Fest is a wellness festival for LGBTQ+ women and trans people hosted in Pinecrest, California. It is the perfect getaway if wellness workshops, queer Field Day, and a Trans Celebration Swim sound more your speed. But not to worry, there are still plenty of dance parties and musical guests to be had as well. Sum of Us Fest brings us all together with nature. (sumofusfest.com)
THE DINAH, SEPTEMBER 20-24 (PALM SPRINGS, CA)
Club Skirts Dinah Shore Weekend, or more often simply “The Dinah,” is a five-day music festival held annually since 1991 in Palm Springs. The Dinah is by and for queer women, and all those who would like to celebrate with queer women. Billed as the today’s largest music festival for LGBTQ+ women, The Dinah has scored some serious talent, and founder Mariah Hanson has been heralded for consistently booking artists about to become the next big thing. While their 2023 entertainment has not yet been announced, past performers include Lizzo, Fletcher, Nicole Scherzinger, Tegan and Sara, Lady Gaga, and Taylor Dayne. (thedinah.com)
P-TOWN WOMEN’S WEEK, OCTOBER 9-15 (PROVINCETOWN, MA)
What’s better than Provincetown in the fall? Provincetown full of lesbians in the fall. Sponsored by the Women Innkeepers of Provincetown, Women’s Week features over 150 events for queer women including whale watching, sailing, comedy shows, wine tastings, craft shows, and at least 145 more. There really is something for everyone. (womensweekprovincetown.com)
GIRLS JUST WANNA WEEKEND, JANUARY 2024 (RIVIERA MAYA, MEXICO)
Girls just wanna have fun, and what’s more fun than a four day long concert experience and beach getaway in Mexico hosted by Brandi Carlile? Nothing, that’s what. In addition to performances from GJWW founder Brandi Carlile, this past year’s lineup included Sara Bareilles, Wynonna, Yola, Alison Russell, Natalie Hemby, and Brittney Hemby to name a few. And since you’re already going to be at the all-inclusive Hard Rock Hotel Maya Riviera, you might as well check out the salon, spa, or water park, maybe do some morning yoga, or rock out in the lip sync contest, and certainly you’ll want to spend an afternoon volunteering in the community for the Day of Service. We’re already counting down the days. (girlsjustwannaweekend.com)
ELLA FESTIVAL MEXICO, MAY 2024 (MEXICO)
Ella Festival Mexico is proclaimed as the most anticipated LGBTQ+ women’s festival of the year, and it’s hard to argue otherwise. Ella Festival Mexico has a lot of the same features as other festivalspool parties, dance parties, beach resorts, you know the drill. What really sets Ella Fest apart are the unique programming features, like the queer fashion show, or the entrepreneurs forum. Definitely worth watching for in 2024. (ellafestivalmexico.com)
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