There are a few gay rites of passage each summer in San Diego that make it such a wonderful place to live; Blacks Beach on Memorial Day weekend; fireworks at Top of the Park on the Fourth of July; San Diego Pride; CityFest; and Blacks Beach again Labor Day weekend.

Add a few clothing-optional pool parties in the mix and you’ve got a complete summer in America’s Finest City. One of those can’t-miss summer events, CityFest, is this weekend, and guaranteed to be the best yet.

CityFest is a celebration of Hillcrest, voted one of America’s top 10 neighborhoods, and this year, the festival’s 25th anniversary, is a big celebration complete with music, arts and crafts, books and a vendor fair. But for many of my fellow bar flies, it’s yet another Sunday to get absolutely smashed within walking distance of home. While I certainly don’t condone getting totally smashed in public – remember, getting super drunk is so unattractive (many of you should work on that) – CityFest is one of those Sundays that it’s all in good fun.

Among all of the attractions at the event, which spans Fifth Avenue from University to Upas, is two beer gardens. Start your day out by taking a brisk walk down the entire stretch, listening to a band or two, and then hop into one of the gardens. After spending time in the beer gardens, and before you get too obnoxiously drunk, head back out and enjoy some more of the great live music, spend money supporting the local vendors, and then head off to the great lineup of parties hosted by the surrounding bars.

A group of bars have teamed up with San Diego Pix to present Beach Bash ’08. The Babycakes Beach will be set-up at David’s Coffee House located in the heart of CityFest, and will include a sandy beach, a pool, cool summer drinks and free cupcakes. I also hear that the Whip Cream Boys will be on hand to make sure everyone has a good time. Just a couple doors up the street, The Brass Rail will host one of the hottest parties along the CityFest route. For years, CityFest revelers have jammed the club during the event for drinks, music and dancing. The Brass Rail’s patio also provides a great view of all of the interesting passersby and the main stage at Fifth Avenue and Robinson Street. I make it a point every year to party it up at The Brass Rail during CityFest. Newly opened Hula’s invites you to get “leid” in their Hawaiian-themed bar and grill – the place is sure to be packed. Finally, Rich’s will host “Blue Balls” that evening, and will be a great place to end the night. A VIP wristband is being sold for $20 and includes front of the line and drink specials at the venues listed above. They can be purchased at Obelisk Bookstore, located at 1029 University Ave.

Other hot spots to visit during CityFest include Urban Mo’s, #1 Fifth Avenue, and The Loft. These popular bars are near or along the CityFest stretch and will all be packed. Hillcrest really is a great celebration of the community, and is more than just a drinking-fest (even though my description above would have you believe differently), so I encourage you to be safe, take care of each other, and really appreciate Hillcrest for the wonderful community it is. Also, read up on why CityFest is hosted each year – it’s an interesting history that you can find online at www.hillquest.com/a/CityFest_timeline.html.

In other news, I have an update about the former Club Montage. Many of you may have already heard the news, but for those who haven’t, I promised to share with you the club’s new name once it was released. The club that occupies 2028 Hancock St. is now Spin Nightclub. Currently, the club is only hosting Friday and Saturday night events, but there are big changes coming! As I get more information, I’ll keep you posted on the many exciting things that the club management has in store. I have always believed that this club is one of the greatest venues we have, and I encourage you all to go back down the hill and enjoy what I believe to be one of the few true nightclub/disco spaces in town. Three levels of great music, a rooftop patio, an impeccable sound system, great service and amazing talent make up Spin. And for those who say it is “too far,” I encourage you to get a stopwatch. It takes about six minutes or less to drive from Universal or Rich’s to Spin in the evening hours when traffic is light. I wouldn’t exactly call that far! Check it out.

Summer will be gone before we know it. Enjoy these warm summer nights, sultry summer flings and easier way of life before its back to the grind. See you out and about!