NOLOSE organizers have been hard at work pulling together a fantastic line-up of food, workshops, and entertainment for this year’s conference. With early bird registration closing TONIGHT (Monday, August 10), we wanted to make sure you had as much information as possible to help anyone on the fence in deciding to attend. So, here’s what we can share about this year’s conference, September 4-6, 2015 in Oakland, CA.
Friday will be Black Indigenous and People of Color (BIPOC) Day. We will start with breakfast and an energizing opening ceremony and invocation led by community members. We will have a moderated community discussion about the future of Nolose and how fat and queer POC should function within and outside of the Nolose community. We will have workshops and breakout sessions throughout the afternoon, and end the evening with a glorious closing ceremony before the open dance party at 9 pm. Registration for BIPOC day will remain free and open until capacity is reached.
Saturday morning will begin with an anti-racism workshop for white folks, alongside a closed workshop for BIPOC folk (topic to be determined on Friday.) Saturday afternoon and Sunday workshops will be in the following tracks: parents and caregivers; superfat; trans and gender nonconforming; disability justice; 50 plus; and organizational. There will also be four additional slots for BIPOC topics to be determined on Friday. These slots may be open or closed, depending on BIPOC community need. Confirmed workshops are:
- Fat Conception, Pregnancy, Childbirth and Adoption (Parents and Caregivers)
- Raising and Influencing Fat-Positive Children (Parents and Caregivers)
- Parenting/Care-giving While Fat and Broader Implications for NOLOSE (Parents and Caregivers)
- Navigating Healthcare Systems Like A Boss (Superfat)
- Building Bridges: Closing the Gap Between Over-50 and Under-50 (50 plus)
- 50+ and Single (50 plus)
- Decentralizing Masculinity (Trans/GNC)
- Trans and Gender Nonconforming Panel (Trans/GNC)
- No Bad Fatties: Navigating Diabetes in a Fat Body (Disability Justice)
- Ability Tools: Assistive Technology for Navigating the World (Disability Justice)
- Balancing Conflicting Community Needs (Organizational)
- Fundraising (Organizational)
- Regional Programming/SPAL (Organizational)
- Volunteering/Board Recruitment (Organizational)
We’re also looking into a panel discussion on Sunday to focus on how several BIPOC artists incorporate their fat stories into their practice.
Planned entertainment for the weekend includes the BIPOC Opening Ceremony, Friday Night Open Dance Party, Saturday Fashion Show and Cabaret Night Sunday Salon Reading, and the Sunday Closing Ceremonies. Here are some entertainers we’re expecting to experience:
- Big Moves’ emFATic DANCE
- Caleb Luna
- Cinnamon Maxxine
- Dean Disaster
- GAYmous
- Ginger Snapz
- Jules Pashall
- Kitty Von Quim
- Miasia
- Nomy Lamm
- Shapes and Shades Dance’
And don’t forget the food!! We’ve got some amazing caterers from local Black-owned restaurants lined up. If you have particular food needs, please sign up by the early-bird registration so we get that information to caterers soon. All meals listed below are included in registration:
- Friday Lunch will be an informal “Make Your Own” sandwich and salad buffet-style spread with fresh fruits and vegetables, chips, cookies and condiments.
- Friday Dinner will be an all-out Caribbean American buffet catered by Back A Yard Restaurant, located in San Jose and Menlo Park, CA. (Menu: Jerk Chicken, Jerk Salmon, Grilled Tofu with Jerk Sauce, Eggplant Lentil Stew, Fried Plantains, Collard Greens, Red Beans and Rice, Corn Festivals, Mixed Green Salad with Tomato and Cucumber, Pineapple Upside Down Cake)
- For Saturday breakfast, Lady’s Catering of Oakland will cater a “grab and go” homestyleAmerican breakfast buffet. (Menu: Turkey Sausage, House Made Vegetarian Sausage, Scrambled Eggs, Hard Boiled Eggs, Fresh Baked Whole Wheat Biscuits and Gluten-Free Breakfast Breads with Butter and Jam, Hot Oatmeal with Dried and Fresh Fruit and Nut toppings, Fresh Steamed Vegetables
- For Saturday dinner, Oakland’s own Lena’s Soul Food Café will be serving the amazing soul food that has many locals lining up outside the door and around the corner every day. (Menu: Baked Chicken, Fried Chicken, Baked Fish, Vegetable Lasagne, Grilled Portobello Mushrooms, Collard Greens (GF/Vegan and Non-Vegetarian), Mac and Cheese, Red Beans and Rice, Fresh Steamed Vegetables, Cornbread Muffins, Peach Cobbler)
- The NOLOSE Sunday brunch menu will feature a unique collaboration between two rockstar chefs and community food activists, Philadelphia’s Chef JA of f.e.d. (food everyone deserves) and Chicago’s Chef Fresh Roberson of Fresh 82 LLC. (Menu: Eggs 3 Ways (Fresh’s Slow Scramble, J.A. Frittatas, Hard Boiled), Bacon, House Made Turkey Breakfast Sausage, Gluten Free Vegan Breakfast Patty, Roasted Potatoes, Biscuit Bar (Gluten Free Biscuits, Buttermilk Southern Classic, Assorted Homemade Spreads), Oatmeal Bar (Signature Steel Cut Oatmeal, Variety of toppings), DIY Parfait (Greek Yogurt, Vegan Yogurt, Fresh Fruit toppings, Syrups, Homemade Granola), Roughage (Baby Spinach Salad, Vanilla Berry Balsamic, Honey Mustard Avocado)
There will also be vending on Saturday afternoon and Sunday morning, and of course, plenty of lounging, networking, and laughter by the pool. Remember, early bird registration (http://www.eventbrite.com/e/nolose-conference-2015-registration-17277965861) closes TONIGHT, so sign up now!!
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