Silverlake,California
2002
One thing that was very much looked forward to by my coworkers was my infamous parties. The one that would get the most requests by people asking to be on the guest list, was my Sunset Junction Party. We would start by having a few drinks in my apartment. My friends were very fond of my Voodoo Juice, a secret recipe that has been on my family for years. Once we had considerable amount of alcohol on our blood, we would walk the quarter of a mile from my place down to the street fair. Lesson learned the year before, never go on rides that spin you.
We would ride the rides, shop, cruise, dance and cause havoc. Those good old days. My coworkers (many of whom I still consider close friends of mine) were the best part of my life in corporate America. That bunch of people was so very special to me and I miss them very much.
Sunset Junction Street Fair was started by gay leather men. At one point the hate crimes in the Silverlake area had grown and the attacks on gay people were an every day occurance. Concerned citizens came together and created the street fair to bring together the large gay population, the increasing Hispanic families, and the upper Anglo residents in the area. You can still see many people in leather walking the street during the festival, and acceptance of alternative lifestyles is much broader now in Silverlake.
