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UPDATE: “Due to lack of bookings we are forced to cancel Sugarland” Stated the Sugarland website this past week. Sorry Guys, Maybe next year!
It’s quaint, it’s tiny, its Wikipedia page composes of six paragraphs and two bullet points. But from March 13 – 16, Mol becomes the center of the European party circuit homoverse, proving that even the little guys can pack a whallop like a pro.
Never heard of Mol? Can’t say I blame you, but it is actually one of the most popular summer resorts in Belgium. That last part is important: Belgium is one of those countries that are so gay-friendly that pride events and circuit parties are no longer the province of big cities with their diversity, high population numbers, and jacked up prices. No less welcoming, smaller players such as Mol are pushing hard to tap into the LGBTQ market, and are seeing just how lucrative even one gay event a year can be. Particularly if you are budget-minded.
And thus I present Sugarland Weekend, a four-day/three-night flesh-fest on the shores of Rauwse Meer Lake on the grounds of the Kempense Meren resort that has all the flash and talent of something you’d see in New York or Paris, but won’t shoot a hole through your bank account like New York or Paris.
Refreshingly, organizers are really covering their bases with this one, pushing Sugarland not only as a party (complete with a “GaySauna”), but also as a getaway. This is, after all, taking place in an idyllic resort town on what is the largest lake in northern Belgium. You’ve got pools, trails, and quiet docks on the water. In other words, the nights belong to the pounding techno and trance from the likes of DJs Dimitri D’Anvers and Leomeo, and the days belong to your own schedule. You’ll even have your own private bungalow (!) where you can relax. Or whatever.
They’re even touting the food, and I can’t recall any major stop on the circuits to do that as a part of the deal. Belgian cuisine has a lot of meat and beer, FYI.
Now, just so you know, Mol is not in the middle of nowhere. Just down the road to the west is the major gay metropolis of Antwerp, one of the most photogenic cities in Europe and whose pull in the gay community rivals, and in some ways surpasses, Amsterdam. Totally worth the trip.
For more information, go to sugarlandweekend.be/en. Contact Steele Luxury Travel to secure your travel experience to Belgium at 646-688-2274