There doesn’t have to be a nip in the air. Jingle bells don’t need to ring. Carols don’t have to be cranked. All it takes to say that gay Atlanta’s holiday season has begun is Toy Party. So as of Sunday, it’s on.
Hundreds of people descended on AmericasMart for the 10th annual Toy Party & Silent Auction with the gay-led For The Kid In All Of Us. Dressed in seasonal fabulous, guests all brought a toy or gift card to make a Georgia child’s holidays brighter. VIPs and UltraLounge guests got some extra bang for their bucks, 100 percent of which also go to the cause.
As always, the evening included open bars, a silent auction for out-of-this-world prizes and DJ beats. Revisiting her role as Toy Party diva this year was DJ Vicki Powell. Extra on the menu were by Cirque du Soleil “Totem” entertainers and live performances by artist David Gribaldi as he completed paintings for the live auction.
What started as a private party for friends at the home of Alex Wan has come a long way in 10 years. Guess Atlanta’s gay City Council member was right when he said Toy Party doesn’t do half-ass. And pretty much everybody behaved themselves.
Photos by Sher Pruitt
