Willy’s Sunday Tea Dance

This casual backyard kiki happens every Sunday afternoon this summer at Willy's Neighborhood Bar, honoring the New York-born gay social tradition that emerged in the 1950s and 1960s. Back then, the dances included tea service (a nod to traditional tea dances of the English countryside) and were a place for singles to meet, since it was illegal for bars in New York to sell alcohol to people known to be gay. Over time, tea dances proliferated everywhere from Miami and Fort Lauderdale to Provincetown, Los Angeles and San Francisco, and Willy's is the latest local spot to carry the torch. The free party features DJs and happy hours from 5 to 7pm. The first 50 RSVPs to check in with the host before 8pm will receive a token to redeem a free shot at the bar.