What is Pines Party?

Pines Party is the jewel of New York’s queer nightlife calendar, bringing thousands of gay men to the shores of Fire Island Pines. A charitable event that’s the pinnacle of every season, Pines Party raises money for Stonewall Community Foundation and local charities impacting the LGBTQ+ communities on Fire Island and in New York City.

How did it come to be?

The history of Pines Party can be traced to the Morning Party, a fundraiser that debuted in 1983 for Gay Men’s Health Crisis (GMHC) — New York’s newest charity at the time, trying to combat an illness killing thousands of gay men in a matter of months. The Morning Party’s inspiration goes back even further to Beach ‘79, another famous community fundraising event.

During the early 1980s, at the beginning of the AIDS crisis, a morning party by definition was an afterparty that is exactly how it sounds: After an all-night dance party, the crowd would then go to someone’s home for more revelry, laughter, libations and of course, cruising. 

1988 GMHC Morning Party

Morning parties were common in the Pines, too. It was traditional for the stragglers on the Pavilion dance floor to ascend on someone’s oceanfront deck for a morning of mellow dance music. The party would continue as the sun rose, making it even more memorable and heightening the experience.  

As the AIDS crisis grew among the Pines community and the world, many felt the need to respond in some way.

In 1983, GMHC set out to do a weekend of fundraising events in the Pines. Cocktail parties, lavish dinners, dancing at the Pavilion; the island was a buzz with ideas to raise money for the new GMHC and the fight against AIDS. Some Pines natives had their own ideas. They opted to host their own fundraising event for GMHC, Fire Island Pines-style as a traditional morning party.

Each year the party grew in size, with increasing production costs, and of course, increased fundraising.

In 1991, GMHC knew they needed to move the Morning Party to the beach. After long negotiations with the community the party blossomed into a legendary event with 3,500 people partying between Beach Hill Walk and Coast Guard Walk. That same year, Gloria Gaynor performed her iconic Disco classic, “I Will Survive” at the beach party.

However, bad press about drugs at the party overtook the event’s shine and sparkle in the eyes of outsiders. The bad press was too much and GMHC stopped sponsoring the party after 1998.

Out of the ashes of the Morning Party, the Pines Party was born. 

In 1999, a small group of Pines residents convened in a small NYC apt to discuss the void in community fundraising. They new it needed to be inclusive and focus on the community. They wanted it to be different, they wanted a night party, which would be more expensive, hence the addition of tents to increase revenue, which led to the first theme, Arabian Nights. Vinnie Petrarca who “was in the room where it happened,” found it ironic that the very NYC apartment they met in, was owned by Andrew Hollaran. Hollaran wrote “Dancer from the Dance,” one of the most important works of gay literature, a novel that was responsible for mythologizing the gay experience in the Pines.

This group presented the concept to Fire Island Pines Property Owners Association (FIPPOA), which also saw a void in the summer calendar. The Morning Party weekend had become the summer’s most prized week for renters. Everyone saw the opportunity.

So was born what is known today as the Pines Party. That first year was titled “Pines 99” — paying homage to the “Beach 79.” The theme was “Arabian Nights” — and tents were brought onto the beach to provide refuge to some of Fire Island’s more well-heeled citizens. Also, the party would become an all-night fête that year, starting at 10 p.m. and as the sun rose, another chapter in the Pines history had begun.

The party exceeded all expectations that first year, and raised half a million dollars for the charities it benefitted.

Why is the Pines Party so iconic?

One Pines resident, Gil Neary, has trouble finding the words to answer that question: “It’s a unique party. They create this nightclub on the ocean and it’s an incredible environment. Culturally, Fire Island is very unique and Pines Party is part of that culture. It’s the legend of it and the word of mouth. Ten people tell ten people and now you have 1,000 people. But no matter what you’re told, you just have to experience it yourself.”

Neary’s right. So don’t take our word for it. See for yourself. Like the mysterious energy of the island, it’s impossible to describe what makes the Pines Party so magical in words.

No matter what though, you’re bound to leave with a memory or two that is truly unforgettable.

Author: Alexander Kacala with additional inputs from Joey Mendoza

ABOUT FIRE ISLAND PINES

Fire Island Pines (a.k.a. The Pines) is one of 17 residential communities located within the Fire Island National Seashore on Fire Island, a barrier island to the south of Long Island. The Pines includes over 650 houses, 100 cooperative apartments, and a central marina and commercial district. It is reached via ferry service from Sayville, NY.

Source material and vintage photos via Fire Island Historical Preservation Society.

The Fire Island Pines Historical Preservation Society is a group of the Pines community members whose mission is to collect, preserve, display, and celebrate the rich and colorful history of the Fire Island Pines for present and future generations. Established in 2010 , they are a recognized non-profit working towards establishing an ongoing presence in the community to help establish an internet site devoted to the history of Fire Island Pines.