By Micaela Kaibni Raen
Headliner, Cris Williamson
SisterSpace Weekend is celebrating its 36th anniversary as a weekend full of women’s music, art, music, films, workshops, activities, and more. While it focuses on activities for lesbian and bi-sexual women, all women are welcome to attend. Held September 6 – 8, 2013 at a rural campground in Maryland, the weekend event will be the best place to flirt all year.
The first women’s weekend was held in 1977 and was called the Lesbian Feminist Weekend. True to its roots, many participants find it empowering to have a space that is female-lead, multi-generational and women-centered.
The SisterSpace weekend brings musical performers from all over the country. Newly appointed SisterSpace Board Vice-President, Corinne Thornton remarked, “It’s always a fun challenge to book a diverse musical line-up while also trying to bridge generational gaps. I think we’ve hit a perfect balance this year. We’re all a little giddy knowing Cris Williamson is our headliner this year.”
More than a music festival, the weekend is packed full of activities, entertainment and multiple venues to meet other women with similar interests. A participant can set her own schedule and decide which activities to attend. If she wants to create an artistic masterpiece, enjoy a movie or wants to party in the woods…she can find it all at the SisterSpace weekend.
The Stage
The musical lineup of performers include: Attractive Nuisance, Crys Mathews, Dawn Drake, KIN4LIFE, Mama’s Black Sheep, Pandora Scooter as well as Rachel Tension and ZapOte. With more performers yet to be announced, as well as both a night and day stage, there will be almost constant entertainment.
Time to Flirt
For those who want to meet other women, this is the place. In addition to being surrounded by women in a friendly atmosphere all weekend; there will also be: dance parties, mealtime discussion groups, a special sexuality space, volunteer opportunities, and pool time.
Art and Film Showings
A unique art space will invite participants to explore and create artwork independently or through participating in innovative art workshops. For those interested in recent lesbian cinema or movie classics, the video lounge is the place to be and offers a cool place to relax.
Workshops, Shopping and Sports
As if a weekend full of women and music wasn’t enough to excite you, there will also be innovative educational conference style workshops and plenty of outdoor activities such as yoga, hiking and a variety of sports. In the “vendor village”, shoppers will find a wide range of lesbian and feminist items for sale. From unique handcrafted items to personal services like body workers offering massages, there will be a lot to discover.
Creating Community
Volunteers who are dedicated to creating a safe, inclusive, and friendly space for women manage the SisterSpace organization. SisterSpace is more than just an annual women’s weekend as the organization also offers local events, online community spaces and volunteer opportunities throughout the year.
Event pre-registration ends August 18. However, if participants miss the deadline they are encouraged to register at the gate. To register for the festival or for more information about the SisterSpace community, visit www.sisterspace.org.
Micaela Kaibni Raen is an Arab-American author whose work explores cultural, socio-economic and sexual themes that critically impact women and their families.
