Gay Places to Escape During the Pope’s Philadelphia Visit

A scene from ‘The King and I” at Lincoln Center.

Chances are, if you live in the Philadelphia region, you are debating about whether to hunker down during the upcoming Papal visit (with a ton of liquor, I’m sure) or escape town. If you’re leaning towards the second option, we’ve come up with three gay-friendly destinations within a moderate distance of Philly that would make for an ideal getaway without a lot of hassle. Be warned: Plan your travel accordingly, and check out our Philly Mag Citified report on the “official” word on road closures within the region.

For The Performing Artist In You: There’s nothing like an early Fall weekend at New York City’s Lincoln Center, the one-stop shop for just about every kind of performance you’d desire. During the weekend that the Pope is invading Philly, you can catch the gorgeous Broadway production of Rodgers and Hammerstein’s The King and I, a whole host of shows at the Metropolitan Opera (Il Trovatore with Anna Netrebko on Friday, Anna Bolena and Turandot on Saturday), a Ray Charles tribute with Bryan Carter, and free exhibits featuring performance portraits. For eats, we recommend The Smith, which is literally smack dab in the center of the Center, and Center Bar, just a few blocks way at the Shops at Columbus Circle.

Carson Kressley will host the Miss’d America Pageant at Borgata.

I Wanna Be Campy and Pampered at the Same Time: It’s like the folks at Borgata read our gay minds. They’re throwing an entire OUT at Borgata weekend while the Pope is in town which features the Miss’d America Pageant, hosted by Queer Eye for the Straight Guy‘s Carson Kressley. But there’s more than just drag: Check out the amazing Immersion Spa, which is located on the top floor of the resort’s Water Club, and stick around for dinner at one of their signature restaurants. Our picks: Wolfgang Puck American Grille and Fornelletto. Don’t forget the pools…lots of them!

A Very Eventful Weekend in Rehoboth: It’ll be a little cool at the end of September for laying out on the beach, but that doesn’t mean that there isn’t a ton of stuff going on in gay mecca. You can forget counting calories, all for a good cause, during Food Truck Friday, which serves as a benefit for Food and Love Soup Kitchen. There’s a Corn to Run and Harvest Festival, which features hayrides, beer, and a 5K race, and a Blue Jean Ball which will support Autism Delaware. You can also tickle your theatrical funny bone by taking in a performance of Lips Together, Teeth Apart at Clear Space Theatre Company.