Seattle’s annual Leo Party roared back into Neighbours Nightclub on Sunday, Aug 9th, proving that 24 years in, the beloved celebration remains one of the city’s must-attend August traditions.
Hosted by longtime Seattle nightlife figures Joe Torres and Aleksa Manila, the party once again turned Joe’s birthday into a full-scale celebration of LGBTQ+ nightlife, performance and community. The night packed Neighbours with revelers ready for an evening of drag, dancing and over-the-top entertainment, with Las Vegas go-go dancers, DJ Junior and a stacked cast keeping the energy high throughout the night.
Leading this year’s lineup was RuPaul’s Drag Race star Jorgeous, who joined an expansive roster of local and visiting performers including Versace Doll, Jackie Hell, Maya Mem Saab, Melodie Volt, Mike Torres, Mikayla Monet, El Jil Guerillo, Dutchess Manilla Starr and The Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence. Together, they delivered the kind of colorful, high-energy spectacle that has helped make Leo Party a fixture of Seattle’s summer nightlife calendar.
But for all the go-go boys, queens and action on the dance floor, Leo Party has never been only about throwing a great birthday bash. Giving back has been central to the event since its early years, with the celebration using its platform to raise money and visibility for organizations serving LGBTQ+ communities.
This year’s beneficiary was Entre Hermanos, the Seattle-based organization serving LGBTQ+ Latinos across Washington. The celebration raised more than $21,000 for Entre Hermanos, turning a packed night of entertainment into meaningful support for the organization and the communities it serves.
Executive Director Edgar Mack-Longoria joined the celebration to thank those in attendance and recognize a milestone of his own: Entre Hermanos is celebrating 35 years of advocacy, services and community building.
Mack-Longoria’s remarks centered on community, joy and resistance — and on the importance of unity in facing the challenges ahead. It was a message that fit naturally into a night where celebration and activism have long gone hand in hand.
That combination is part of what has given Leo Party its staying power. Seattle’s nightlife landscape has changed dramatically over the event’s nearly quarter-century run, but Leo Party has continued to bring generations of LGBTQ+ Seattle together under one roof. The party offers a chance to dress up, dance and celebrate, while also directing attention and resources toward organizations doing vital work throughout the region.
Over the years, the event has become more than an annual birthday party. It is a reunion, a fundraiser and a reminder of the role LGBTQ+ nightlife spaces can play in building and sustaining community. The crowded dance floor at Neighbours on Sunday — and the more than $16,000 raised for Entre Hermanos — showed that, even after 24 years, Seattle is still eager to show up for both the party and the purpose behind it.
And with Leo Party now approaching the quarter-century mark, its formula remains remarkably consistent: big performances, big personalities and an even bigger sense of community.
After another packed night at Neighbours, one thing hasn’t changed: when August rolls around in Seattle, Leo Party belongs on the calendar.
