Church & Wellesley : Woody's

Despite having moved to the GTA five years ago and having lived in the downtown core for over a year, there are still neighbourhoods which are completely foreign to me, and which never fail to remind me that I'll always be a transplanted small town girl. One minute I'm traipsing through the city like a Torontonian born-and-raised, and the next I'm on some unrecognizable street corner using my iPhone as a compass and wondering (for the millionth time) how city dwellers can be content with a starless sky and never seeing any deer.

But that's another story...

Last weekend, after only two wrong turns and a lot of googling, I found myself in the front row of the Sunday night drag show at Woody's, "everyone's first gay bar". In the past, I've always been so busy meeting straight boys that I neglected a whole world of my favourite guilty pleasure pop songs and fabulously sequinned dresses. But it's not just the outfits that are impressive, these performers can really dance. There aren't many people who can whip themselves across a stage so aggressively, while still managing to be graceful and fearless in four-inch stilettos. While the rest of the world is tucked in bed on a school night, the fast-paced entertainment at Woody's is just getting started, and it's definitely worth the trip across town.

Since opening in 1989, Woody's appears to have become, not only a neighbourhood staple, but a major player in Toronto's queer community. The bar is sponsors sports teams, Buddies in Bad Times Theatre, and Pride Week, and has raised over $300 000 for the AIDS Committee of Toronto through fundraising events. Check out their website or Facebook for more information on nightly events.