Falltacular, also known as Fire in the Smokies, attracts more than 300 gay men and lesbians to the Smoky Mountains during Halloween weekend. (Photos courtesy of Falltacular)
MORE INFO Falltacular — Fire in the Smokies Oct. 30-Nov. 2 The Smoky Mountains, Tenn. $350 214-334-1193 www.falltacular.com
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HOME > COMMUNITY > COMMUNITY FEATURE

Oct 10, 2008  |  By: RYAN LEE  | COMMENTS |   |  

IN A CITY LIKE ATLANTA, where gay people can meet new friends or a potential partner at countless nightclubs and social venues, sometimes the best way to find quality people to connect with is to take a 200-mile road trip.

“Sometimes people feel like the only place they can meet someone else is at the club, like there’s no other outlet,” says Shawn Joyner, an Atlanta resident who organizes the annual “Falltacular” retreat in the Smoky Mountains.

“So this is a great opportunity to meet other people,” Joyner says of Falltacular, which takes place Oct. 30-Nov. 2. “There’s a lot of people from Atlanta who have participated in the past and didn’t know each other, but then they bonded over the weekend. Some people have found their partner there, and some people have found their best friend there.”

Now in its third year as a full-blown social retreat, Falltacular — also known as “Fire in the Smokies” — attracts about 350 attendees from 22 different states and two foreign countries to enjoy a long weekend of sightseeing, hiking and other outdoor activities.

“It becomes like this big family reunion,” Joyner says to describe the bonding that takes place among attendees, even those who don’t know one another. For example, previous Falltacular events have attracted gay men from Chicago who arrived in the Smoky Mountains as strangers, but now gather to host monthly social events in the Windy City.

A limited number of spaces are still available for this year’s Falltacular, with the $350 registration charge covering lodging, meals, cocktails, nightly entertainment and in-house parties. For an extra $75, attendees can secure a roundtrip seat on the Falltacular “party bus” — a cocktail and entertainment-filled charter bus that departs from Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport.

“One of the comments you'll hear most often about the retreat is that it is hard to believe that you get so much for such a nominal price,” Joyner says. “It’s not a money-maker for me, and that’s one of the main reasons we’ve been able to keep the price so reasonable.”

JOYNER’S ANNUAL TREK TO the Smoky mountains began eight years ago when he invited about 25 friends and family members to celebrate his birthday at a retreat in Gatlinburg, Tenn. The celebration turned into an annual gathering, and three years ago Joyner decided to expand the guest list to include friends of friends.

Since then, Fire in the Smokies has exploded into one of the most anticipated circuit events of the fall.

“It has been a blessing — I can’t believe it’s gotten to this point,” Joyner says.

Usually timed to coincide with Joyner’s birthday in November, this year’s Falltacular was pushed up a few weeks to take place over Halloween weekend.

The weekend starts on Oct. 30 with a staging of the play “Baggage Claim” by Atlanta writer Dwayne Carter, followed by the Falltacular “Jump Off” party. The evening of Oct. 31 features a comedy show hosted by V-103’s Miss Sophia, followed by a Halloween masquerade party. Miss Sophia also hosts a variety show on Nov. 1, a night that features a spoken word poetry slam and the closing party.

In addition to the nightly entertainment and parties, Falltacular includes midnight movies, spades tournaments, lighthearted field day competition, and “cocktails and conversation” sessions where attendees discuss issues such as relationships, sexuality, spirituality and the upcoming presidential election.

Falltacular is also introducing a Sunday morning worship service to its itinerary, with Pastor Will of the Power Center in Atlanta presiding over a Nov. 2 service.

Attendees will also have the option of going horseback riding, whitewater rafting or hiking — but people don’t have to leave their cabins to have fun.

“Each cabin has its own private hot tub,” Joyner says.

FALLTACULAR HAS PROVEN TO be a conducive setting for people to meet each other without screaming over loud club music or battling other big-city distractions. Joyner hopes the annual retreat can also make headway into something that few other gay Atlanta venues have attempted or accomplished: becoming a social melting pot.

About 20 percent of this year’s Falltacular attendees are female, which is “a little bit more than previous years, but next year we want to aim for 30 or 40 percent,” Joyner says.

“It’s unfortunate because the guys and the ladies, we party separately,” Joyner says. “So what we’re trying to do is bring everybody together, but it seems a little challenging.”

Over the years, Falltacular has primarily attracted African-American attendees, but Joyner says he also wants to make sure gay people of other ethnicities feel welcome to join the Falltacular family.

“Being gay and lesbian people, we already have [divisions], so I don’t think we should segregate where the black men party by themselves and the white men party by themselves,” Joyner says. “I love bringing different types of people together.”