Pgh Lesbian Correspondents

The ladies of iCandy have organized another fantabulous Halloween themed cruise party on Saturday October 26. The Dead Celebrity Halloween Boos Cruise boards in the Strip District at 8 PM and promised a fun-filled evening of queer fun, music, and costumery. Prizes will be awarded. There’s a cash bar. You can bring your own snacks. Tickets are limited so be sure to order ASAP to guarantee your slot.

I used to go on the cruises sponsored by the Tavern Guild with my friend John. It was always fun and there was always terrific people watching moments. I haven’t been on a cruise since about 2010 so I’m very excited about this one. iCandy is a great group with a lot of nice folks. They organize lots of different types of events just to do it, not to build a business – just to fill a gap for queer women and nonbinary folks who like to get together to mingle and have fun in a comfortable environment.

Tickets are $25 and can be purchased online only. 

Boat will board promptly at 8pm
All IDs and Ticket Confirmations Must be Presented.

Happy Hour 8-9p
Sail 9-11p
Docked Dancing Hour 11-12p

Your Names: Eileen & Sandy
Your Pronouns: Her/She
Your Affiliation with the Cruise:  iCandy Pittsburgh hosts various events throughout the city. We were told about the Pittsburgh Luxury Cruises by a good friend. We have enjoyed working with Mark, the Captain and his team of employees. They are very knowledgeable about our city and the waterways.

Why a dead celebrity theme?  We had tossed around a zillion of different theme ideas and couldn’t settle upon one. Eileen decided, why not let our iCandy crowd choose. She made a post and a friend, Cortney P., had first suggested the Dead Celebrities idea. Several others on the post also agreed that they liked the theme, hence: The iCandy Pittsburgh Dead Celebrities Dance Party.

How many cruises has iCandy organized over the years? Do you have any special memories from those previous events?  Our Dead Celebrities Halloween Cruise will be our Second Cruise. We hosted an 80’s themed Dance Party a few months back, on the same ship, and that party Sold Out very quickly. The boat holds 120 persons, so it’s the perfect sized crowd for a fun night. The 80s Party was a fantastic night . Lots of laughs, dancing and FUN was had by everyone.

I remember the Tavern Guild sponsored cruises in the 1990s. I went with a friend, seemed like twice a year, until suddenly they stopped scheduling these events. What are your queer cruise memories? We have a really cool picture of the 2 of us from the Tavern Guild Ride on the Clipper when we were both super thin and younger hanging in our bedroom from one of those boat trips. It’s one of our favorite  photos of us. We always looked forward to gathering at that particular event.   I always heard folks say that the community missed it after it ceased. The Cruise  was always a nice evening out on the beautiful Pittsburgh waterways, where you had a chance to catch up with friends that you may not have seen since the previous Boat Cruise. It was also fun to hear all the gay anthems on the dance floor that DJ Billy would also spin.

What can a newbie expect from this cruise? Any advice?  Newbies should expect to encounter a welcoming crowd that are looking to unwind, dance and share a festive Halloween evening together. DJ CocoBee (Nicole Pianella) is excellent and she had the entire boat dancing all night on our 80’s cruise.

It being a Halloween party will surely bring some good laughs with everyone dressing in costume. We are looking forward to seeing everyone’s creativity.
Advice:  I would suggest since we will be on the water, choosing an outfit/costume that provides some warmth 🙂

You are partnering with a new-to-me riverboat cruise company, Pittsburgh Luxury Cruises, departing from the Strip District as opposed to Station Square. Tell us about that partnership and their relationship with the LGBTQ community.  Mark, the Boat Captain & Elizabeth his Event Coordinator have been extremely welcoming and helpful to us as we ventured into this partnership. I am aware that they have worked extensively with our LGBTQ community previously, hosting Same Sex weddings and receptions, and also hosted other local LGBTQ DJs and event planners for various parties, such as Honcho, for example.

You are having a costume content. Who are the judges? What are the prizes?  We plan on asking the Cruise Staff to choose the winners. Our budget for this event is not huge, but we will be giving away some gift cards and/or Libations for prizes.

Cultural appropriation and insensitivity are huge issues with Halloween. Do you address these concerns with your party attendees? We have never had any issues with this situation with our crowd.

Tickets are $25 for admission. Will there be food and beverages available for purchase?  There is a Cash Bar on the Boat. You’re welcome to bring small Nosh’s if you wish. Please keep In mind if you do bring your own food, you will need your own serving spoons/forks, plates and must clean up after yourselves.

When are you scheduling your next cruise?  We look forward to working with the Pittsburgh Luxury Cruise Line for a Spring Event.

Where can readers find iCandy on social media? 
Twitter: @iCandy_Pgh
Facebook: Https://www.facebook.com/iCandy.pgh/
Instagram: @icandypgh 

What else do you want us to know? We appreciate the community support we receive for all of our events! We always look forward to meeting new friends. We have made several really wonderful friendships through iCandy Pittsburgh. You don’t have to be coupled up to attend any of our events. We have several stories of new friends and new couples who have met while socializing at our various activities.  Come join us!

Thanks Sue for reaching out to us!

Thank you, Eileen and Sandy.

Tickets for the cruise are available here. Use the promo code iCandyHall – see you there!