Just about every “tween” girl looks forward to the day she can drop the “w” and become a teen. And so it goes for Aqua Girl®. Now celebrating its 13th birthday, Aqua Girl® is a weeklong women’s festival, held in Miami’s South Beach area, which gives women from all over the world a safe place to mingle, network and have a great time. The event, which is May 2nd to May 6th, will feature a something-for-every-woman array of pool and dance parties, comedy shows, film screenings, cocktail receptions and fitness workshops with the proceeds going to Aqua Foundation for Women.
Just about every “tween” girl looks forward to the day she can drop the “w” and become a teen. And so it goes for Aqua Girl®. Now celebrating its 13th birthday, Aqua Girl® is a weeklong women’s festival, held in Miami’s South Beach area, which gives women from all over the world a safe place to mingle, network and have a great time. The event, which is May 2nd to May 6th, will feature a something-for-every-woman array of pool and dance parties, comedy shows, film screenings, cocktail receptions and fitness workshops with the proceeds going to Aqua Foundation for Women.
What began as a one-night breast cancer benefit in 1999 has grown into the largest charity women’s week in the country, having raised more than $1.8 million dollars for Aqua Foundation. Aqua Girl® has been attended by thousands of women, all with the focus of having a good time for a great cause.
The foundation, which has given out over $400,000 in scholarships and grants since its founding in 2004, serves as a funding catalyst for LBT wellness and equality in South Florida, supporting the personal and professional development of LBT women.
“Even today women, be they LBT or straight, continue to struggle for equality,” said Aqua Foundation executive director Robin Schwartz. “It’s critical for organizations like ours to be able to provide much-needed services that help women reach their full potential.”
Attendance at the festival has been rising year after year. “This year promises to be the biggest event we’ve had so far,” said Schwartz of Aqua Girl® 2012, which will include 14 culturally-diverse events that encompass the best of the famous South Beach scene.
Highlights of this year’s schedule include:
• VIP cocktail reception- Aqua Girl kicks off April 21 with elegant fusion of culture, food and drink sponsored by Mercedes-Benz. The event features a live auction and a recognition ceremony.
• Miami Gay and Lesbian Film Festival- A screening of festival centerpiece Girl Trash – All Night Long, based on characters from the popular lesbian-themed Web series Girl Trash.
• Traffic Jam- Semaphore-hued glow necklaces broadcast wearers’ relationship status: red=taken, yellow=approach carefully and green= go for it! Features top female DJs and Drag King shows.
• BodyToning with Rachel Robinson- The reality TV star and trainer will personalize her BodyToning workout for festival attendees.
• Splash- Swimming, poolside games and go-go girl performances set to the beats of top girl DJs.
• Jessica Kirson live-Stand-up comic Kirson – who has appeared in top comedy festivals and won the “Best Female Comic” award from the Manhattan Association of Clubs and Cabarets – entertains with jokes and impressions.
• Havana Nights- A celebration of the Latin beats that help give Miami its unique flavor. Features top female DJs, sexy shows, celebrity hosts and VIP gardens.
• The Beach House- Aqua Girl®’s main Saturday pool party. Celebrity DJ Tracy Young will spin house and electro music while the Miami Heat dancers perform sexy routines.
• Odyssey- House and hip-hop music provide the background to dance shows and a meet-and-greet with the cast of The Real L Word.
• Aqualicious Tea Dance- Aqua Girl® goes co-ed during this popular pool party which opens its doors to the guys and features DJs and dancers of both sexes.
• Afterglow- The festival’s official final bash provides a blend of electro, freestyle and Miami Bass so partygoers can close out the week in style.
For information about travel, deals on accommodations at Aqua Girl®’s two host hotels – The Surfcomber Resort and Lords South Beach – and discounts on American Airlines tickets, visit the festival’s Web site at www.aquagirl.org
