SOMBA K'E/YELLOWKNIFE - Orange and black may be the conventional colours for Halloween, but next week proud revellers at one festive event are going to celebrate the full spectrum of the rainbow.

Guests of the Out and About event being planned at the Champagne Room next week are encouraged to dress up as a larger-than-life persona. - illustration by Ian Vaydik

Out and About is a DJ dance and costume party organized for members of Yellowknife's lesbian, bisexual, gay, and transgendered (LBGT) community. The music kicks off at 8 p.m. on Saturday, Oct. 30, downtown in the Champagne Room.

The program also features performances by Toronto drag queen Stella Artwat and Edmonton drag queen Shiwana Millionairre. Alberta DJ Dustin Wald will spin tunes inspired by the The Adventures of Priscilla Queen of the Desert, a 1994 film about a trio of gender-bending artists who journey across the Australian outback.

Kim Smale is helping to organize the party alongside Lisa Tesar, a professional event planner with Yellowknife's Bottomline event planning company.

"Halloween is a time when people can come out and enjoy themselves," Smale said. "It's nice to have an event or place where people can go to share and celebrate common experiences. People can be completely comfortable and feel safe, have fun, and enjoy themselves in the company of like-minded people."

Smale is encouraging guests to arrive with pride in the guise of their own larger-than-life persona. Smale plans to attend in the character of Avatart.

"Pick a persona and come out as anybody you want to be," Smale said. "Scarlett O'Deara is coming. Lila Medown is coming. Orna Mint is coming. Just dress up, pick a name, and celebrate pride."

Smale has a lot to celebrate this year. She married her partner in Yellowknife this summer. Same-sex marriage was legalized in the NWT in 2005.

"So many things have changed in the NWT and in Canada," Smale said. "Things have progressed so far. It's incredible."

Smale came out 20 years ago. Since moving North from Alberta a decade ago, she said she has always felt welcome in Yellowknife.

"Yellowknife has been fabulous," she said.

However, Smale added she would like to see the development of an organization to bring members of the LBGT community together.

From 1997 to 2007, Out North operated as an LBGT advocacy organization. Out North lobbied the territorial government to adopt same-sex legislation for a decade. The group also organized annual Halloween dances for the community.

Out and About is being used to raise money to resurrect Out North.

"There was no (LBGT) organization available, so we decided let's do it," Smale said. "If this works out really well maybe a group of people who have something in common would be interested to get Out North going again. We would need people to help us pull this off, but right now we're just throwing it out there. Yellowknife is very accepting. However, for a younger person they might not feel comfortable, yet, in the community. We just want to say it's OK and we are out here."

Tesar is already looking forward to future pride-related events.

"We're hoping this will lead to many more performances," Tesar said. "We had a tremendous response from (southern) performers who said 'oh my God, I've always wanted to come to Yellowknife.' Because we're a unique place I think that's an attraction itself and we have a very cosmopolitan and diverse community base up here and we like to celebrate."

World Catering, the company that runs the Champagne Room, stepped up to help, along with a number of other businesses.

Jerry Suite, an event planner for the company, regards Out and About as an opportunity to build a sense of community.

"Every community celebrates pride, regardless of how large or small it is," Suite said. "If this helps to bring the community together to identify and come together we're more than thrilled to continue that now and on an ongoing basis."

Tickets are available today from Twist or at Inspired in the Centre Square Mall.

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