The best LGBT parties on Fire Island

It is a truth universally acknowledged that a single man in Fire Island will be at the Underwear Party. The gold standard of the island and the start to any wild weekend, this lit tradition from Daniel Nardicio guarantees a wild, nasty time for all involved. 

Let’s hear it for the fairer sex! This alfresco affair has an all-white dress code and boasts DJs, an open wine and vodka bar and a silent auction to benefit the Callen-Lorde Community Health Center, in case your compassionate ass has some money to burn.

Going strong since the summer of ’76, this seaside soiree invites you to strut your stuff on the red carpet (the more feathers and sequins, the better) to celebrate Independence Day. Marvel at a throng of drag elite as well as a color-popping flotilla just offshore. Pines Marina Fire Island, enter at Bay Walk and Picketty Ruff Walk.

Photograph: Courtesy CC/Flickr/The MacKay Way

Work that booty, or better yet just ogle sexy dancers from Broadway and beyond at this fest that invites choreographers and performers from around the world for an eclectic evening of high-end dance and cocktails along the water. Proceeds from this 23rd installment, as always, go to a good cause, funding nutritional and medical charities throughout the States.

At this essential three-day free-for-all, let loose anytime—literally: There’s a rager that goes till 6am, then another one that picks up a half hour later. Get down to the thumps by the likes of DJs Ralphi Rosario and Tom Stephan, all while enjoying the sensation of sand between your toes. And keep in mind that this year’s theme is “labyrinth,” which promises surprise twists and intricate passageways and—we can only hope—a David Bowie–esque codpiece or two.