Party Up!

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Fire Island’s big circuit-esque weekends are some of the most intense events of the summer. Gay boys from all over flock to that little strip of sand off the coast of Long Island for three days jam-packed with nonstop partying, including pool parties, tea dances, fireworks and beach parties. It’s the gay nightlife equivalent of a triathlon! The latest epic beach event, Ascension, is just around the corner. The annual daylight beach party and its attendant festivities benefitting the Fund in the Sun Foundation takes over the Pines starting August 16. As usual, the roster of DJ talent is impressive, including Hector Fonseca, DJ Abel and Jonathan Peters. These jet-setting maestros are used to spinning all night at back-to-back gigs, so we thought we’d get their tips for maintaining the stamina necessary to make it to every single soirée during Ascension Weekend. Try to keep up, won’t you?

Friday, Aug 16

Launch Party
126 Beach Hill Wk (btwn Midway/Bay Wks)
It all starts here! Get in on the ground level and get ready to rise at the first of Ascension Weekend’s many parties. 7pm; $29.

Underwear Party
Sip N’ Twirl, 36 Fire Island Blvd (@ Picketty Ruff Wk)
“My party will set the tone for the weekend and I have to make sure I do a great job at that,” says DJ Luis Perez. As for the soundtrack he’ll be providing for all the boys stripped down to their panties? “People can expect some great high-energy vocal tracks with tribal house beats.” 11pm; $19.

Ascension Survival Tip:
DJ Luis Perez: “Party responsibly and drink lots and lots of water.”

Saturday, Aug 17

Pool Party
126 Beach Hill Wk (btwn Midway/Bay Wks)
“The summer is all about the pool parties,” says Dominic Pacifico, a.k.a. DJ Pornstar. He plans to work the crowd hard and keep them sweating with his blend of “fun, happy summer beats that will keep your energy high but won’t wear you out before the sun sets.” Luckily, this is a pool party. “When you get too hot, feel free to get wet!” 1pm; $49.

Ascension Survival Tip:
DJ Pornstar: “Don’t blow it all out on night one! Wake up, get a great meal—high protein—drink lots of water and get your sexy ass to the pool! The sun can really drain your energy, so just keep hydrated and remember, kids: always wear your sunblock!”

Tea Dance
236 Bay Walk, (btwn Teal/Holly Wks)
Let Doug Perry, one half of DJ duo The Perry Twins, set the scene for you: “It starts out bright and sunny with everyone dancing on a huge barge on the water. Then there’s a beautiful sunset and at the end of the party, an amazing fireworks show.” And while brother Derek’s promises to either parachute into the DJ booth or arrive astride an elephant should probably be taken with a grain of salt, you can definitely expect the twins to debut a few new remixes and original songs along with lots of favorite tunes. 6pm; $99.

Ascension Survival Tip:Doug Perry: “A good thing about the parties which will help you is that they don’t go super late or start too early in the day, so there is plenty of time to rest in between. Also, everyone’s upbeat attitudes and the music will definitely keep you energized!”

Afterdark
Sip N’ Twirl, 36 Fire Island Blvd (@ Picketty Ruff Wk)
The fireworks don’t stop when the Tea Dance ends. After the sun goes down, the Pines’ party animals come out to play—and we’re not talking about the deer! DJ Abel spins deep into the night. 11pm; $59.

Sunday, Aug 18

Beach Party
On the beach
DJ Theresa, who’ll be spinning alongside her devastatingly handsome label mate Hector Fonseca, has some unreleased material up her sleeve that she’s ready to unleash at this year’s Ascension Beach Party. “I’m excited to drop some of these tracks,” she says. “They have a lot of big-room appeal.” But what’s got her even more excited is the crowd. “We all know New York boys are the cutest.” Noon; $49 under 25/$109 general admission/$139 VIP.

Ascension Survival Tip:
DJ Theresa: “When I have a lot of gigs back-to-back, I go into what I call ‘self-preservation status’—drinking lots of vitamin C, sleeping as much as possible, skin exfoliation treatments, no alcohol and frequent hydration. However, if I switched roles from entertainer to entertainee, my advice would be to relax, have fun, hydrate and let the music feed your adrenaline.”

Closing Party
Sip N’ Twirl, 36 Fire Island Blvd (@ Picketty Ruff Wk)
What goes up must come down, but not until after DJ Jonathan Peters is done with you. It’s Ascension weekend’s last hurrah, and if you made it this far you deserve a medal—and the day off on Monday! 10pm; $39.

Ascension 2013 at various location throughout Fire Island Pines, August 16–18. Visit ascensionparty.com for more info.