Out Boulder County's Gayla is coming out of the woods

Join Out Boulder County in coming out of the woods at the Gayla on September 18.

The annual fundraiser for the LGBTQ nonprofit is themed “Out of the Woods” this year, but not because OBC thinks that the pandemic is truly done.

“It’s ‘Out of the Woods’ in the sense that we can all gather for community events and have a celebration in person at the St Julien for those that feel comfortable,” said OBC Special Events Coordinator Juan Moreno.

“We’re lucky to live here in Boulder County, where the majority of people believe in science. With vaccination rates climbing, it feels like we’re almost out of the woods,” said OBC Executive Director Mardi Moore. “We’re back in the office, people can safely gather again, so we’re going to have some fun surprises for our guests on that theme.”

This year’s Gayla marks the third year that OBC has hosted the Gayla themselves, according to Moreno. The first year, in 2019, saw OBC take over the Open Door Fund Dinner from the Community Foundation of Boulder County. The 2020 Gayla was a virtual event, though ticket holders had entrees and wine delivered to their home, Moreno said.

The in-person soiree returns to the St. Julien Hotel in Boulder this year with a reception, three-course meal and entertainment from comedian Margaret Cho.

“We have fabulous dinner options that cater to a variety of dietary needs, complimentary wine, an open bar and non-alcoholic beverage options,” Moreno said. 

Some highlights of the menu include a New York strip steak with gorgonzola cream sauce, blackened scottish salmon filet and roasted acorn squash. According to a menu preview Moreno shared, dessert will be a chocolate raspberry mousse cake.

“There will be all sorts of fun and exciting entertainment at the reception and in the ballroom, along with the phenomenal Margaret Cho,” Moreno said. “Cho is a fabulous queer individual. After surveying folks last year, they really wanted to see a comedian take the stage this year. We lucked out that she was available and could attend the event.”

Margaret Cho is a stand-up comedian and actress, having starred in tv series like All-American Girl and Drop Dead Diva. Cho most recently starred in the Netflix film Good on Paper with fellow comedian Iliza Schlesinger. Cho is currently touring the US with her “Fresh Off The Bloat” stand-up show.

“People enjoy entertainment and laughter. We haven’t been able to laugh together in a while, so we’re excited to have Margaret Cho,” Moore said.

Along with the $200 general tickets for the fundraising Gayla, there is a $300 VIP option as well with a private courtyard bar and meet-and-greet with Cho. Details on other entertainment for the night are still being decided, according to Moreno.

The night of decadence and celebration is still ultimately a fundraiser for OBC. In the years prior, OBC reached an agreement with the Community Foundation to donate a certain amount of net proceeds back to the Open Door Fund endowment and support other LGBTQ organizations in the community, according to Moore.

Beyond the endowment, OBC is looking to add to the general operations fund and introduce new initiatives in 2022, according to Moore. OBC has a $50,000 challenge match for the fundraiser, and Moore was hopeful they would meet it.

“It’s a very important event for us,and it will be a very fun night,” Moreno said. “But this will be the biggest event for the organization in the second half of our year and we hope to make it as successful as possible.”

Tickets are available through OBC’s website. Any questions about the Gayla can be directed to Juan Moreno via email.